An Offer Of Hope
by CaroMio
Summary: SpikeBuffy, SpikeOC Starts at the end of Dead Things. What if Spike didn't have to find his own way home after Buffy beat him up outside the police station? Changes occur when a friendship blossoms. PG13, with the last chapters rated R.
1. Chapter 1

Picks up during "Dead Things".

Chapter 1

_A week before the Slayer's birthday…_

Spike was fading in and out of consciousness. His face was massively swollen on the one side, the eye forced shut, and the back of his head was bleeding from repeated impact with the pavement. _Slayer really did a number on you this time, mate._Corinne Larkin came out of the police station and turned down the alley to walk to where her car was parked behind the building.

"Oh, my God!" she exclaimed, rushing over to the injured man. "Sir, can you hear me?" He doesn't really give her a response, so she took out her cell phone and started dialing 911. "Hi, I need an ambu-" A pale hand clamped around her wrist, bringing the phone down from her ear.

"No hospitals," he croaked.

"Listen, buddy – you need medical care. I'm pretty positive you have broken bones and a strong concussion."

The blonde man opened his good eye and tried to pin her with a serious look. "Really, I've 'ad worse. I just need to get inside, and I'll be fine," he rasped. He tried to sit up. His fuzzy vision kept showing two of the girl. _Cute. Now, which one's real?_

"Look…" she starts, pushing him back down with her hand.

"Spike."

"Spike. I'm a doctor, okay? I'll make sure you are taken care of."

"They don't really serve my kind, pet," he insisted.

She grabs the wrist of the hand he has wrapped around hers, and feels cool skin and no pulse. "Oh!" Corinne's eyes widened. "You're…"

"Yeah, but I won't hurt you. Now, if you'd let me be on my way, I'd like to avoid sunrise." He tries to get up again, but Spike's too dizzy to push her out of the way.

"Don't be so stubborn! I bet you can't even walk straight, in your condition. My car is behind the building. Let me pull it around and take you home…please?"

She's so sweet and earnest about it, and he's so tired…Spike gave her a tiny nod; she smiled, and hurried off. He tries sitting up (without throwing up) while she's gone. _Score one for concussion_, he internally groaned.

Corinne pulled up in a late-model import, headlights off. She ran around the front and opened the passenger door, then came over to help him.

"Okay, we're just going to take our time and do this nice and easy," she said. "It's only a few feet, but don't be afraid to tell me if you're feeling too dizzy."

"Yes, Doc," he quipped, though she can tell even this is an effort.

They went in stages – getting him to sit up, then rise up on his knees, then put one foot on the ground, and the other. Spike partly accepts the gentle treatment just because it's been so long since anybody cared. Finally, he was in the car, and ready for a long sleep. She smacked the back of his hand.

"Hey! You can't sleep, yet! Head trauma like this, you could slip into a coma!" she barked, before running round to the driver's seat.

"Same rules don't apply, pet. Sleep is part of how we heal."

She looked dubious, then handed him her phone. "I'd still feel better if someone watched over you. Is there a friend you can call?"

Spike scowled, punched in the numbers, and pressed 'send'. "Clem…yeah, can you be at my place in around ten? Thanks, mate. I'll explain later." He closed the phone with a grimace and handed it back to her. "There, you happy?" he snapped.

"Don't have to get snippy. I'm just trying to be a good doctor," she quietly replied.

Bloody hell, he'd hurt her feelings. "Sorry. I'm not at my best," he muttered.

"It's okay. I've had worse patients. Where am I heading?"

"Uh…Restfield Cemetery," Spike replied, suddenly embarrassed.

"Oh. Makes sense, I guess. Do you…like it there?" She wanted to keep him talking, for her own peace of mind.

"It's not too bad. Found a cozy crypt, fixed it up. Even have a proper bed, and everything. Electricity, too."

"That's good."

"So…why aren't you…?" Spike waved his hands in the air to simulate a panicking person.

"Freaking out?" she supplied. "Well, there was a story going around last summer, at the hospital, about a white-haired man saving people from monsters. The rumors stopped after that horrible riot last October, so I figured the 'hero' moved on or died…but it was you, wasn't it?"

Spike ducked his head and muttered something unintelligible, before answering. "Yeah. Guilty as charged. I'd made a promise to a lady. Didn't realize I'd gained a reputation with the humans…"

"It's more of a whispered myth, but yeah, people noticed. We're almost to Restfield. Is your place close to the street?"

"Not exactly. I think I can manage, though, all the same. My legs are fine."

"You're going to need help getting inside," she insisted.

Spike chuckled, which ended in a cough. "As you wish."The crypt was in sight, when Corinne couldn't contain her giggles any longer.

"A fine pair, we make," she guffawed. "With Spike's equilibrium shot, they were meandering about like a couple of drunks as she tried to keep him upright.

"Yeah, yeah – laugh at the injured vampire," he huffed, scowling down at her. "Ow. Expressions hurt."

"Just a little bit farther, and I'll get you fixed up," she promised, patting the kit slung over her shoulder.

The crypt door was left open long enough for her to see to light the candles. Spike settled into his chair.

"I thought you said you have electricity," she said, confused.

"I do, but most of the wiring is down below."

"Well, I can make do." Corinne set the tackle box down and opened it up, revealing a lot more than band-aids and rubbing alcohol.

"That's quite a stash you have there, Doc."

"I got my EMT cert before going into med school." She ripped open a pack of pre-moistened antiseptic wipes. "I always travel prepared. This might sting."

"Yeow! Might?!" Spike howled as she applied the pad to the cut over his eye. "Bloody hell, woman!"

"Sorry!" she said, wincing. "Once I get you cleaned up, then I can numb this before I stitch the cut. Just try to take deep breaths and focus on something pleasant."

Breathing wasn't actually something he wanted to do in here right now. Buffy's scent still permeated everything, and though he loved her and wanted to protect her, it hurt that she had attacked him so viciously. He allowed his mind to wander as Corinne gently ministered to his face.

"Spike?"

"Hmm?" opening his good eye.

"I need to reset your cheekbone. It's crushed inward."

"Alright, pet. Just do what you need to." He prepared for the pain by gripping the armrests, but as she manipulated the bones, he found his body had gone into shock. He felt numb. It was nice.

"That's better, she murmured. "I need to lift your eyelid and check the status of you eye." She reached for a tiny flashlight.

Spike was about to respond, when Clem burst in the door. "Sorry I'm late! My mother called just as I was on my way out the door. Hi!" he waved to the human. "I'm Clem. Is this a bad time?"

She blinked and shook her head. There was a saggy-skinned…guy…in the doorway. "That's your friend?" she asked Spike.

He chuckled at her wide-eyed expression. "Clem may look scary, pet, but he's as 'armless as St. Nick. Aren't you, mate?"

Clem closed the door and walked further into the crypt. "Oh, yeah! I'm not really much for interacting with humans. I don't exactly blend in. Anybody want some Cheetos?" He held up a new bag.

The resident shook her head 'no' and resumed her doctoring. Spike hissed as she pried open his eye. She looked apologetic, but continued, shining the pen light on his eye. He tried to jerk away from the bright light, so she released his face.

"A couple broken blood vessels, but the eye appears okay. Do you have any ice?"

"Check the fridge," he replied, pointing over in the corner.

Corinne got up to look, so Clem came around to see his friend. "Whoa, buddy! What attacked you tonight? Did you warn the Slayer?"

"Looks worse than it is, mate," he replied, looking away.

"You want me to tell her? Cuz I can…"

"_No!_" Spike exclaimed vehemently. Instantly, Clem understood, and nodded, though his red eyes seemed to glow with anger in the dim light.

"What's a Slayer?" Corinne asked curiously.

"Hero type. Saves the world from evil. Otherwise known as Buffy Summers," Spike filled in, tersely. "If we're done playing doctor, I'd like to go get some rest."

"Uh, sure, Spike. Here's the ice." She tossed it to him, then started packing her supplies.

"Doc…I'm grateful, really. No one's…well, let's just say that few people would have gone to so much trouble for me. Thank you," he said sincerely.

She patted his shoulder. "Don't mention it. Just doing my job." Corinne slid the strap over her shoulder and made for the door. Her hand was on the handle when Spike spoke.

"Hey, Doc! What's your name?"

"Corinne. Corinne Larkin. Good night, Spike. Nice to meet you, Clem." She left, closing the door quietly.

"Nice girl," Clem noted. "For a human." The demon sat down facing the vampire. "You wanna tell me what happened?"

"Not particularly," Spike sighed. "I just want some blood, and to sleep for a week."

Clem knew not to press, and helped his friend without another word. Once Spike was settled in bed for the day, Clem sat watch up above. That nasty Slayer wouldn't get the chance to sneak in and finish the job.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Now, I'm not doing a "Saint Spike" here...this is Dawn's perspective, the viewpoint of a young girl who still sees him as her hero and one true confidant. Just in case anyone thinks the following sentiments are too sappy. CM

Chapter 2

Dawn tentatively opened the crypt door the next afternoon. All she knew was that her sister had come home, and the whole mess had been Warren's fault. She'd come straight from school to see Spike, having no one to vent to about this.

"Spike?" she called.

"Shhh. Spike's sleeping. You're Dawn, right?" The wrinkly demon greeted her with a wave.

"Um, yeah?" she squeaked, staying on the sunlit side of the door. "W-who are you?"

"I'm Clem. Spike and I play poker together? Anyway, he talks about you, and your sister. He got kinda beat up last night, so I stuck around…you know, kept an eye out."

Concern overcame her fear. "Is he alright? Spike's always awake by now." Dawn darted past Clem faster than he could reach her, and climbed down the ladder.

She gasped, horrified by what she saw, even in the wavering light of a single candle. _Oh my god…he looks like he got pounded with a hammer!_ Dawn crept forward for a closer look.

"What are you doing here, Bit?" he rasped.

She squeaked, surprised. "I wanted to see you. Spike, what did this? You didn't look this bad from Glory!"

He grasped her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "Sure, I did. You just didn't see me the next day."

Dawn slapped his chest. "Don't joke about that! I don't want to lose you, okay? I almost lost my stupid sister last night, because she cares about her stupid calling more than me. She didn't even think about who would take care of me while she was in jail! Does she hate being here that much, that prison looks better than her own family?" She was crying by the end of her rant.

"Aw, Bit, don't cry! I can't stand it when you cry." Spike brushed the tears off her cheeks. "You know that's not true. Your sister loves you; she dies for you. It's just, you know how she is…obsessed with always doing the right thing." He tried smiling reassuringly. "Ow."

She held the hand he had touched her face with, staring down at it as he tried to comfort her. It dawned on her, then, that his knuckles were still smooth.

"Why didn't you fight back?"

"What? 'Course, I did," he said defensively, yanking his hand back.

"No, you didn't, Spike. I'm not stupid, you know. The skin on your knuckles is always red or broken after a fight, especially on your left hand. _Damnit!_ It was Buffy, wasn't it?! My sister did…_this!_" she declared, gesturing at his swollen face. Dawn started pacing back and forth, muttering words he didn't know she knew. She whirled around, furious. "Why do you defend her? Everybody knows she's just a cold-hearted shell since Willow brought her back. They all try to pretend that everything's normal, even her, but we all know! I wish she'd never come back!"

"Oh, luv, you don't mean that, not really." Spike coaxed her onto the bed, where he could hold the teen. She curled up next to him, her head on his shoulder, reminding Spike of last summer. He stroked her hair, making soothing sounds. "I had no idea you felt like this, Dawn. I guess I've been a bloody rotten friend, eh? I figured you wouldn't need me as much anymore."

"And the distraction of boinking my sister almost every night?"

"Dawn!" The thought of her knowing what he and the Slayer did was horrifying.

"You think I don't notice that she comes home at 3 AM or later now?" she said pointedly, adding, "It's not like I sleep that great."

"Nightmares still?"

"Sometimes…sometimes, I'm just thinking. Are you coming to Buffy's birthday party?"

"I don't think she'll want me there, pet."

"Like she wants any of us around. If you don't go, can I ditch and hang with you?"

"I don't think your sis would approve…"

"Screw what she wants, Spike! She's kept my best friend away, and that's just wrong! Look where being around her has gotten you, Spike. Your face looks like hamburger, and you have the self-esteem of a whipped puppy."

"Hey!"

Dawn carried on like he hadn't spoken. "I know I'm young, but I also know that love is not supposed to get you treated like this, Spike. My sister is not a saint, or a goddess, or even much of a hero. She's a dysfunctional girl that should actually be dead, and she doesn't deserve the way you look at her. Don't you get it, Spike? Any woman in her right mind would be thanking the heavens to have a guy look at her like that. No, don't turn away from me…I'm trying to be a grown-up, here." Her eyes started to shine with tears again. "Please, Spike. Don't let her hurt you anymore. One of us should be able to escape it."

What did he do now? Spike was overwhelmed by Dawn's honesty. What should he do, when both his girls were hurting, but not on the same side? Dawn was clearly too angry to be convinced of her sister's goodness right now. And really, the girl was old enough to form her own opinions. He loved them both, yet he was being asked to choose his loyalties. On the one hand, Buffy had just beaten him to a pulp and left him for dead. On the other, he was the only person she still talked to at all, and he didn't know how it would affect her to lose that…

"No small request, Niblet. I _do_ love your sister, and I've never been the type to just walk away," he replied, just as seriously.

"I know," she admitted. "But you were mine first."

He had to smile at that. "And I also know that everything seems dramatic and dire at your age. All I'm saying is…try talking to your sister. Not yellin', or accusin', but be honest, and _mature_, about it…and she might try harder to do better by you."

"But, what if she can't? What if she's not capable of that anymore? Has anyone considered that she might not be _able_ to be normal anymore? She's not the same Buffy that entered that portal, Spike. That girl would never have done this to you if you weren't fighting back," she said sadly.

And there was the crux of the matter – the point he hadn't wanted to consider. Yes, he'd encouraged Buffy to embrace the dark, as in life with him, but he'd never wanted to see her become a parody of the girl that had first intrigued him. If he was honest, he had to admit that Buffy wasn't getting better – she was just better at hiding it from her blind friends. The Watcher would probably notice, but he wasn't here anymore.

"Look, Dawn…I'll think about what you said, alright? Right now, I'm still pretty knackered, and you need to get home…"

"Yeah, okay. I'll take the hint. Um, if I have to go to the party, will you help me get a gift?"

He smiled. "Yeah, Bit. We'll find something nice."

Dawn lunged forward and hugged him. "Thank you, Spike!" Se picked up her backpack and started for the ladder. Pausing, she turned around and waited for him to look up at her. "I love you, you know. I don't care what she says – you're my family." She climbed up the ladder, then, and he heard her say goodbye to Clem.

Alone again, Spike dissolved into tears.

------------

Corinne dropped by every evening that week after her shift at the hospital. She was amazed at the vampire's ability to heal, though it concerned her that his eye was still so swollen.

"Should this still be this puffy?" she asked on Saturday. She prodded the area with her fingertips, checking to see if she'd missed some broken bones.

"Probably not. I…haven't been that hungry lately," he mumbled. Spike still didn't know what to do with her continued kindness. It made him uncomfortable, even though he craved it.

"I can help with that. I, um, brought you some blood from the hospital. They're throwing it out, anyway, and you probably haven't wanted to go out looking like that, so…"

Spike placed two fingers on her lips, stopping her rambling, a teasing grin playing on his mouth. "Thanks, Cori. I appreciate it. How's work been?" He watched her putter about the crypt, fetching his mug and pouring blood from one of the bags inside. She placed it in the microwave before answering.

"Okay. Being a first-year resident is tough, but at least I'm a step above the students." As usual, she was dressed in scrubs, her long auburn hair wrapped up in a bun. He wondered what she would look like all dressed up.

They'd done the traditional exchange of information: age (her, almost 25, and him, 150), where they grew up (San Diego and England), how long they'd been in Sunnydale (her, about a year; him, a resident since '99), and hobbies.

"What made you decide to become a doctor?" he asked, as she brought him his mug.

"Love for science, curiosity, desire to help people. I originally became an EMT to put myself through college, and it kind of grew on me. Just seemed natural to follow on to the next step."

"I'm sure you could have found a better place than Sunnydale!"

Corinne shrugged. "I like small towns. Didn't expect to find one so…unique, but it hasn't been so bad."

"Well, do me a favor, Doc. Get out of this town before it kills you. There's an apocalypse here every May, you know."

"Really? How is the town still…here?"

_Now you've opened up the can of worms, Spike._ "The Slayer. It's her job to stop them. She and her team have been doing it since '97."

"You, uh, don't seem to like to talk about her," she hesitantly stated.

He sighed, knowing he shouldn't take his anger out on the innocent girl. "We have history. The most recent of which has been the worst, and the best…It's complicated, pet. _I_ don't even know what I'm going to do about the situation, so explaining it to someone else…?"

She waved it off, grey eyes kind and compassionate. "I get it. You don't have to tell me anything you aren't comfortable with, Spike. We haven't even known each other a week. I'm just curious about this supernatural stuff, that's all."

"I know, and if I get snappy, it's not aimed at you. You've been a very pleasant diversion, Cori. So, Clem dropped off some more videos…"

"Really? What've we got?"

And so began another traditional part of their meet-ups: the video portion of the night. Clem was clearly on a mission to cheer up Spike, since every movie he'd dropped off was a comedy. They'd usually watch two, before Corinne began yawning, and left to go catch some sleep. Spike was starting to really look forward to the company.Dawn dropped by Monday afternoon.

"Spike?"

"Down here, Bit."

She hurried down the ladder to find him reading a book in bed. "Hey! You look better!"

"Thanks." He prodded his still slightly puffy right eye. "Not 100 back to my gorgeous self, yet, but almost. What can I do for you, pet?"

"I've been informed I have to stay at the party tomorrow at least until the food's been eaten, so I need to get a gift. She probably wouldn't notice if I didn't, but the rest of them will give me hell for it."

"Bitter little pill, lately, aren't you?" he teased with a smirk.

She snorted, and flounced over to take a seat on the bed. "So, since I have to be home before dark, can I borrow some money to go to the mall? Please?"

"Tell you what: you scoot home and get your homework done, and I'll pick up something for you this evening. Need to stretch my legs, anyway. Been cooped up in this crypt for a week."

"You haven't even been out on patrol?" Dawn asked, shocked.

He ducked his head, embarrassed, and mumbled a reply. "My doc won't let me?"

"Your what?" she asked, a smile in her voice.

"The doc that looked at my face, okay?" He rolled his eyes at the whole situation. "Apparently, the orbital bone on my right eye was fractured, so that's why the swelling hasn't disappeared, yet. Something about inflammation, or some such…"

"I can't believe you went to a doctor!" Dawn exclaimed, giggling.

"I didn't go to one," he shot back defensively. "She kind of found me."

"Ooo, it's a she…is she cute?"

"_Bit!_" Spike whined.

"Oooo, she is, isn't she?! I've got dirt on Spike…I've got dirt on Spike…" she sang. The singing became shrieking once he started tickling her to shut her up. "Okay! Okay! I give! I won't tease you anymore."

"Damn straight, you little hellion. Respect your elders, or next time you'll be over my knee." The threat was tempered by the fact that he was grinning, his eyes twinkling with triumph. They both know he would never lay a hand on her.

"So, seriously…how'd you meet a doctor?"

"Cori found me in the alley next to the police station and insisted on helping…girl's as stubborn as all get with the Florence Nightingale routine…"

"Wait. _Wait._ Buffy beat you up and left you out_side_? It didn't happen here?" Dawn asked, her voice low and dangerous. He'd seen that look in another Summers woman before, right before she whacked him in the head with an ax.

"Now, Bit…"

"I'm going to kill her," she growled, popping off the bed and heading for the ladder. Spike caught her around the waist before he could reach it. "Spike, let me go. I'm just going to have a little _talk_ with my sister."

"No, you're not. I appreciate the righteous indignation, sweetheart, but this is between me and your big sis."

"But she _left_ you! Out for the _sun_, Spike! You're not just some random vamp she ran into in a graveyard. You're _you_! You kept Mom and me safe! It's murder, Spike! She knows you, she's slept with you, and yet she beats you unconscious when you aren't even fighting back? It doesn't matter that you don't have a soul. You're a _person_, Spike…" The fight left her as she stopped struggling, breathing harshly in his arms.

Spike kissed her temple, the top of her hair. "I know this is hard for you, Dawn. That's why I didn't want you to know. I'm so sorry for bollocksing everything up, luv. You and your sister should be banding together as a family, not fighting over a pathetic excuse for a master vampire."

"You're not pathetic, Spike. You have lousy taste in women, but you're not pathetic." Feeling his arms loosen around her, Dawn turned around to regard her 'big brother'. "If we're still here when I turn 18, will you take me away from here, from them?"

For probably the thousandth time, Spike pondered how he gained this precious girl's trust and love. Looking down at her pleading face, big blue eyes still displaying all to the world, he couldn't begin to refuse. She was his Bit.

"I promise. If you still want me around then, we'll go anywhere you want."

Dawn wrapped her arms tight around his waist. "Thank you, Spike. You don't know how much that means to me." She released him and stepped back, seeming to remember that she was 15 and not supposed to make such displays anymore. "Well, I should get going."

"Right. And no causing a ruckus?"

She rolled her eyes. "I promise I won't say anything about what she did to you. Oh, and don't spend much on the gift. It can even be really lame, okay? I'm not feeling very giving right now."

He laughed, in spite of it all. "Just go! And leave your window unlocked so I can drop it off later."

She grinned, and left. Spike shook his head, still chuckling. If he didn't know any better, he'd think she was his offspring.


	3. Chapter 3

Usual disclaimer applies.

Chapter 3

Dawn stopped by The Magic Box before going home. "Hey, Anya."

"Good afternoon, Dawn. Have you come to buy something, or just take up table space?"

Dawn smile. From anyone else, that greeting would have been pretty rude. "Actually, I wanted some advice."

The ex-demon perked up. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah. Okay, here goes: theoretically speaking, if I wanted to curse someone's shampoo to make their hair fall out, how would I go about that?" she asked, trying to appear curious but still innocent.

"Just the one bottle, or any shampoo they use for life?" Anya inquired, thinking over the details.

"Just a specific bottle. Like a prank, but without using Nair."

"Right…that does have an unpleasant odor…Well…wait, are you just curious, or is this going to come back on me by the form of a vengeful Slayer?" she asked suspiciously.

The teen caved. "Yeah, alright, I was thinking of actually putting the plan in practice…but I really don't like this person! How could you tell, though?"

Anya patted the girl's shoulder. "I don't have to be a vengeance demon anymore to recognize a desire for payback, Dawn. Magic is serious business, even when it's relatively harmless. Don't worry – if the person you're mad at is truly awful, they'll get what they deserve. They always do."

"Thanks, I think. So, what you're saying is that karma or fate will step in, in the end?"

The shopkeeper nodded approvingly. "Pretty much! It's the reason vengeance demons have been in business for thousands of years. Is there any more wisdom that I can impart?"

"Um…not that I can think of right now," Dawn replied. "Do you mind if I do my homework in the back? I don't really want to go home, yet."

Anya shrugged. "Makes no difference to me. It's the Slayer's training room."

-----------------

Corinne walked up to Spike's door, raising her hand to knock just as he opened it.

His face creased up into a welcoming smile. "Hey, Doc!" Spike looked her up and down appreciatively. "You clean up nice, luv." He was wearing a blue shirt over a black tank, black cargo pants, and his leather coat. She hadn't seen the coat on him before. It fit.

_So did he._ She blushed and ducked her head. "Shut up. I take it you're on your way out?"

"Yeah, got some errands to run, and I'm _dying_ for some fresh air."

Corinne stepped back so he could shut the door. "I could give you a lift. Where you headed?"

"The _mall_," he replied with distaste. "Need blood and smokes, too. So, what's with the normal person clothes? You have the day off?" Spike set a casual pace towards the street.

She was wearing a suede jacket over a blue sweater and low-rise jeans, her hair down in glossy waves grazing the small of her back. "Yep. I did some grocery shopping, vacuumed…I actually dropped by to see if you were hungry."

"I could nibble," he teased, snapping his teeth at her. She playfully shoved him away. "Can I smoke in the car?"

"No! You think I want that smell stuck in my upholstery? What's the point of fresh air if you're just going to foul it up with tobacco?"

Spike held his hands up in appeasement. "Okay, okay…can I pick the music?"

"You really _do_ need to get out. You're like a hyper five-year-old!"

"Hey!"

Corinne just gave him a look as she stopped, crossing her arms in front of her. "Spike, you're literally bouncing on your toes."

He stopped and grinned unrepentantly. "Yeah, okay."

She shook her head, laughing, and unlocked the car door for him. Tonight was going to be _fun_.

-----------------

"So, what are you looking for here?" she asked as she found a parking place.

"Dawn didn't have money for her sister's gift, so I said I'd take care of it. Chit's lucky I like her so much. The music they play in this joint makes my ears bleed," he grumbled.

"Well, what kind of gift is she looking for? If I know, then I can direct you straight to the right store and get you out sooner."

Spike slung his arm around her shoulders. "Sounds like a plan, pet. Do they have some kind of goofy shop…you know, like for gag gifts?"

Corinne arched a brow at him. "That's what she wanted?"

"Cross my heart and hope to dust. You know teenagers…they don't like anybody."

"Okaaaay," she replied dubiously. "Let me check the directory to see if it's still here," Corinne added, as they entered through the sliding doors. The mall's current advertising was for Valentine's Day. Spike sneered at all the pink. She read the billboard, then got his attention. "This way."

"Where we goin'?"

"'Things You Never Knew Existed'. You want a gag gift, that's the place. They get all that cheesy stuff you normally find in catalogs." Corinne set a fast walking pace.

That lasted only a few minutes, before the hyper vampire found something to divert his attention. She looked away briefly, only to lose him for the music store. _I had to meet the vampire with ADD_, she mused. He was already in the back of the store, headphones on his ears to listen to a sample disc. When she tapped him on the shoulder, he held up a CD case.

"I don't have this one!" he said loudly, grinning. Corinne had to admit that he had a great smile.

She moved one of earpieces aside. "Cool, but I thought we were on a mission?"

Spike pouted, but nodded and turned off the music. He paid for his new disc and they resumed course. They were almost to the store this time, when he veered into Barnes and Noble. Corinne sighed and followed.

"What do you need in here?" she asked, catching up to him in the Fiction section.

"Hmm? Oh, just browsing. Been a while since I stopped in a bookstore," he replied absently, skimming over the titles.

"I'll be over with the magazines when you're done." She received an automated response in the form of a nod. _Right._ Corinne shrugged and walked off. At least in here, she could get a cookie to ward off her hunger until he was through.

Spike wandered through the aisles, pulling out books and scoffing at the prices. _Like he really wanted to pay $40 for a hardback anthology._ 'Course, he could always pilfer more books from the library…

"Spike?" The vampire whirled around at the sound of the female voice, immediately affecting his air of cool again after being caught off guard.

"Glinda! Imagine running into you here! How's school?" he rambled in a rush.

She smiled shyly. "It's okay, Spike, I won't give your secret away. E-even vampires have to while away the day, right?"

"Right! Well, I should shove off…didn't really find anything…" He scratched the back of his neck, shuffling about while trying to be polite. Spike liked the blonde Wiccan, and didn't want to be rude.

"Spike, did you find- Oh, sorry to interrupt?" Corinne interjected. She pulled up short, immediately noticing the posture of the vampire and the blonde woman.

His head shot up, smiling gratefully at her. "It's fine, luv. Glinda was just saying hello. I'll think I'll just make a trip to the library soon," he hinted, wanting to leave.

"Are you coming to the party tomorrow, Spike?" Tara asked.

"Party?" Corinne wondered.

The vampire addressed the blonde. "Don't think so, luv. We're not exactly on the best of terms… Doc, this is Tara Maclay. One of the Slayer's friends."

Corinne offered her hand. "Hi, I'm Corinne Larkin. Well, we should be going if we want to get everything done before the stores close." Might as well help him out, since he looked so uncomfortable.

"Yes, right. Glinda, good to see you. Good luck with Red." Spike nodded politely, then steered Corinne out of the store to their original destination.

Tara wasn't sure what to think. It seemed that Spike and the young woman were friends, but she didn't think he had human friends. His time had always been spent around Buffy or at Scooby meetings before. It didn't escape her notice that his face had been injured recently, or that Buffy had been especially quiet the last week. She didn't have all the pieces, but her intuition was telling her something had happened between the two lovers.

-----------------

"So, what was that all about?" Corinne asked, once they were out in the hallway again.

"What?"

"The stiff and awkward posture you had going around that girl, Tara. Part of that complicated Slayer history of yours?"

Spike sighed, and slowed his steps. "Yes and no. Glinda's a good sort, it's just that she's part of the Scooby group…the Slayer's little followers, and everything always gets back to the group, and _her_. Whether I do anything wrong or not."

"And the party…it's for 'her'? And the favor for Dawn?" The pieces were starting to fit together now.

"Yeah…can we just get the thing and go…elsewhere?"

"Sure, Spike. I'm at your disposal."

He looked grateful, then changed the subject, poking fun at 'the poor saps' in the jewelry store they passed. Corinne joined in with anything she could think of to keep him laughing. They ended up spending almost an hour playing around in the gag store. Spike insisted on buying several things for the 'wankers' in his life. (She didn't ask.)

A stop for Mongolian take-out (Spike's order was extra spicy), and they left for the market so he could replenish his supplies for home.

"One last stop, pet. Take a right here, then a left on Revello. I need to drop this off for Dawn."

"Won't her sister see you?" she asked worriedly.

"Nah, she's at work." He tapped his temple. "Got the schedule memorized."

They pulled up in front of 1630. Corinne watched as Spike vaulted up silently to a second story window and tapped on the glass. A brunette teen stuck her head out and smiled, taking the bag from him. She watched them talk, then Spike pointed to the car, and the girl waved. She waved back, not knowing what else to do. The vampire kissed the girl on the cheek after something she said, then dropped back to the ground and jogged to the car.

-----------------

Corinne laid out the take-out containers as Spike put his purchases away. She had thought it was the cutest thing that a _vampire_ stocked up on Swiss Miss hot chocolate. Despite needing to live on blood, he was so _normal_, or at least as much as a guy 150 years old could be. She wondered if he would answer a few questions now.

"Spike?"

"Yeah, pet?"

She twirled the noodles around in her box for a bit before continuing. "What brought you to Sunnydale? You've said when, but I was wondering why?"

He settled onto the couch next to her, his hands clasped between his knees as he thought where to start. "My sire, the one who made me a vampire, was ill. We'd been attacked by a mob in Prague, and Drusilla wasn't healing. She was my world, and so I searched everywhere for a cure for her weakness, which led us to the Hellmouth. I also heard that there was a Slayer here, so that was an added bonus. It took me a while to find the cure, and in the meantime, I sought the girl out. Only this one was different – she had friends and family that helped her mission. It's supposed to just be the Slayer and her Watcher, you see."  
Spike's eyes took on a faraway look, as he got lost in the memories. "She used to slay in these little miniskirts and those ridiculous platform shoes little teen girls thought were all the rage. 'Course, she needed the boost just to _try_ to look most of us in the eye…such a tiny little thing. Even tinier now, since she lost the baby fat. That's another thing wrong with women today! They're all obsessed with losing their curves. A bit of somethin's nice for a man to hold on to, you know?  
Anyway, I went to the Bronze to see this Slayer for myself. She was dancing with her friends, Red and the Whelp…hips swayin' and arms raised in the air, wearing a baby blue halter top with no bra." He chuckled, shaking his head. "A 16-year-old virgin masquerading as a nymph. So, I make with my little test to confirm who the Slayer is, but I already know. The power was just radiating off her back then…made my demon just _itch_ for a taste. The good ol' days…"

"Did you ever find the cure?" Corinne asked, bringing him back to the point.

"Yeah. I got a bloody church organ dropped on my back for my efforts, too. Even for a vampire, a crushed spine isn't just something we take a couple days rest for and hop back up swingin'. Had to do all my own healin', too, since my sire was too busy fucking Angelus in my bed. Loved her for over 120 years, but Drusilla stays faithful to no one but her _precious_ sire.  
So…Angelus is going to send the world to _literal_ Hell, and I make a truce with the Slayer – I help her stop him in exchange for me and Dru leaving town, never to return."

"Except that you did."

"I did. Dru decided to leave me for a soddin' Chaos Demon. She never really forgave me for siding with the Slayer against her precious Angelus. So, I came back here to get the Gem of Amara and kill the Slayer once and for all. Figured if I did the bitch in, then Dru would have to take me back. Long and short of it, I ended up with this chip in my head, and just never left. Somethin' always comes up to be involved in. And, I've got the crypt just how I like it. If I moved, I'd have to do that all over again."

"How did you end up saving people last summer?" she asked, missing something.

"Told you, I made a promise. Doesn't much matter now. Slayer's back doing her job, and ol' Spike's free to do evil at night again." He recited it like it was something he practiced saying often.

"You? Evil? Spike, you like soap operas!"

"_One_. _One_ soap, and that's because it's bloody brilliant! Couldn't care less about t' others. And I am, too, evil! I _am_. Stop laughing, you cheeky bint."

Corinne tried to stifle her giggles. "I'm…sorry…it's just, I've been around you for almost a week, and you seem like just a guy. Granted, a guy who lives on blood, but a guy nonetheless. Is that so bad?"

He smiled, to her relief. "No. I guess it's really not."

"Good. You better eat your food before it gets cold."

He took a bite of his forgotten meal and grimaced. "Already is. Good thing I have a microwave." Spike hopped up to reheat his dinner, glad for the shift in conversation. This week had shaken his footing, made him more vulnerable than he ever wanted to be. The mask came back up as he strolled back to the sofa, a mischievous grin on his face.

_Uh-oh, he's planning something_, she thought. Nobody smirked like that from innocent thoughts. "What?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nothin'," he replied, batting those long lashes innocently.

"_Riiiight._ Tell it to some other sucker."

"We need some wrapping paper. I have gifts to distribute."

"Why do I get the feeling we're going on a teenage prank run?" she groaned.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_Thank goodness I don't have to be at work until noon._ Corinne tossed her jacket on the couch and started pulling her sweater over her head on the way to her bedroom. Including a drive to L.A. and back, and talking, they hadn't gotten back to the cemetery 'til 1:30. She was just walking in the door to her apartment at 2. Unlacing her ankle boots, she thought over Spike's hijinks. It was an interesting thing to note that even a male of his age still hadn't outgrown the ability to act 14. It was pretty funny, though. Too bad it couldn't be done during _daylight_. Flannel pajamas donned and teeth brushed, Corinne sank into bed and instantly fell asleep.

----------------

Stopping by the crypt around 9pm the next evening, Corinne wasn't there long before there was a knock on his door. Spike rolled his eyes in irritation and stalked over to answer it.

"Bit? What are you doing here? You're supposed to be at your sister's party."

Dawn moved past him into the crypt. "Only until the food and stuff was done. She thinks I'm at Janice's."

"Then why aren't you?" he asked sternly.

"Because even though she said she would be, Janice isn't home, so I came here. Who's that?" she replied, pointing at Corinne.

"None of your business, and don't change the subject. Dawn…you know your sister doesn't like you coming here, especially at night. Do you _want_ to get both of us in trouble?" Spike asked in exasperation.

The teen just rolled her eyes. "We're not going to get in trouble. Buffy thinks I'm staying the night at Janice's and going straight to school. She's so busy trying to fool her friends that she's happy, that I won't even cross her mind. Can we not talk about her anymore?"

"Fine, but you're going to be at school on time in the morning. No more ditching classes."

"Whatever," Dawn sighed, plopping on the sofa. "Got any new movies?"

Corinne looked awkwardly between the two of them. "I…should go."

Spike looked up, concerned. "You sure?"

"Yeah…it's kind of late for me."

He looked perplexed, but went along with it. "Alright. Let me walk you out. Bit, don't get into anything while I'm gone."

"Yeah, yeah…" Dawn was already engrossed in the television.

Once they were outside, Spike stopped Corinne with a hand on her arm. "You don't have to go, you know, pet.

She smiled reassuringly. "I think she needs you more than she's letting on. I've been a 15-year-old girl, before. I should be studying, anyway, and sleeping. I could stop by in the morning, make sure she gets to school?"

He looked relieved. "Thanks, luv. That would be right handy. My body tends to insist on sleep at that hour." They resumed walking to her car.

"Not a problem. My shifts are kind of crazy for the rest of the week, but I'll try to drop by still. It's been nice, getting a change from the ordinary. Maybe I should go about rescuing men in alleys more often," she quipped.

"Not in Sunnydale, you won't. Any number of things would consider you a ripe, nummy treat, Doc. You're lucky I'm not still the biting type," he growled protectively.

"I was _kidding_, Spike! Lighten up a little," Corinne replied, bumping him with her hip.

He shrugged, unapologetic. "I protect the people I care about, Doc. Just my nature." True to his word, Spike's senses were always extended every night he walked her across the graveyard.

"I know. Thanks. Well, good night. Good luck with Dawn."

"Eh, she won't put up much trouble…too worried that I'll stop doing favors for 'er. Good night, pet."

-----------------

"So, any demon problems at the party? Mystical occurrences? A spell gone wrong?" Spike asked, once he rejoined Dawn.

"Nope. It probably helped that the party wasn't on her _actual_ birthday. That was Saturday. Xander brought a friend from work to meet Buffy, though."

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "What kind of friend?"

"Some guy. Pretty unremarkable. I don't even remember his name. I'm sure it was just Xander's idea of trying to get her back to 'normal'." She scoffed at that. "Like a Slayer can ever be normal. That party was sooo boring, which means she'll probably consider it a success." Dawn looked over at Spike. "You don't think she'll come by for a booty call tonight, do you? Cuz that'll seriously scar me for life."

He sighed and sat down next to her. "I doubt it, pet, but it wouldn't matter with you here, anyway. She'd be too mad that you weren't at your mate's."

"Yeah, you're probably right. What'll you do if she, uh…you know, goes out with that guy?"

Spike weighed the question seriously, since he could be honest with Dawn. "Your sister is free to do what she likes, as much as it might piss me off. Every time we're, uh, _together_, she insists 'never again'…that we have nothing but the…physical. Sometimes, we actually get along for a bit, and I think she might care a little…and then she's running off again like the hounds of hell are on her heels. But the short answer is, there's nothing I can do about it, and a normal bloke can probably give her those things she's always dreamed of. I haven't fooled myself so much to not recognize that. I can't give her children, can't grow old with her, can't go for walks on the beach under the sun…And I want to see her happy, Bit. Even if that's not with me, much as that hurts."

She snuggled into his side, trying to give what she could. "You're pretty amazing sometimes, Spike."

He lifted his arm up to wrap around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "Not so bad, yourself, Niblet."

----------------

Buffy did start trying to date the 'normal guy'. That lasted just long enough for them to be out at night and a vampire to cross their path – the third date. 'Normal guy' balked and stopped calling, and the Slayer went back to occupying her nights patrolling or working at the DMP. Dawn rarely saw her. She posed the theory to Spike one night that Buffy was trying to ensure that she wouldn't have time for the vampire by working 24/7. He wasn't sure how to take that.

Spike was at war with himself. Every time he went to seek Buffy out, the voices of his friends would start casting doubts in his mind on whether it was a good idea. So, he watched her from afar, when he could get away with it, and only dropped by the Scooby meetings long enough to report on demon activity. She never looked at him when he was in the same room. Bitch.

So when the Slayer and Captain Cardboard showed up at his crypt demanding information about Suvolte eggs and "the Doctor", he wasn't in the best of moods.

She kicked the door open like usual, dressed all in black to match Soldier Boy. "Spike! What do you know about Suvolte Demons?" she demanded.

"Well, if isn't Captain Cardboard, back in town. What's the matter, mate? All those government toys not doing the job? Have to call in the Slayer to save your ass again?"

Riley drew himself up and maintained his composure. "We're looking for someone calling themselves 'The Doctor'. They're planning on selling a bunch of Suvolte eggs, and we already tracked the mother to Sunnydale. Buffy thought you might know something. Personally, I think it's a waste of time."

"Suvolte eggs will hatch if you don't keep them cold. As you can see, I don't have the facilities for that kind of storage. Not that I'd bother. Damn things are way too volatile. Sorry, don't know a thing about any doctor or a deal. Now, if you don't mind, I was about to watch some telly," Spike responded. The bitch still wouldn't look at him, except to glare.

She lunged forward and shoved him against a pillar. "That all, Spikey? I don't think I said I was done here, so I'll leave when I'm good and ready." She punched him in the nose. "Now, I know you've been pretty quiet lately, so what are you up to, huh? You're always hearing tales at Willy's, so you either know who's selling the eggs, or who's buying them." She raised her fist to attack again. "Who are you protecting?!"

"No one, you bloody bint! I _kill_ my kind. Do you really think any self-respecting demon is going to confide in me?" Spike lightly shoved her back, breaking her grip on his shirt. "I told you what I know, now piss off!" It angered the hell out of him that she could still think him capable of breaking her trust like that, when he'd been helping them all for almost two years. Her eyes were cold as she searched his.

Riley laid a hand on Buffy's arm. "Come on, Buffy. He's useless. We need to find those eggs before they hatch and get hungry."

She looked back at him, stepping further from Spike. "You're right, of course. Don't go anywhere, Spike! If I find you have anything to do with this, I'll stake you."

"Whatever. Sing a song I _don't_ know, Slayer." He wiped the blood off of his lip and stomped over to his bottle of Jack sitting on the refrigerator, his back rigid until he heard the door slam.

----------------

She came back later, after Soldier Boy and his new wife left town again, looking vulnerable.

"Tell me you love me," she pleaded, walking up to him.

"I love you, Buffy."

She stopped right in front of him, her tiny fingers picking at the buttons of his shirt. "Tell me you want me."

"I do want you, but Buffy…you can't just use me whenever your life doesn't go your way." He removed her hands from his person and stepped back a little.

She stepped forward again, trying to wrap her arms around his neck and press her body into his. "What does it matter, Spike?" she breathed. "I'm here, I'm willing…"

Spike moved her arms away and stepped back again. "No more games, Slayer. You've hardly _looked_ at me for weeks, and now you're suddenly back in my arms? I'm sorry that it hurt you to see Captain Cardboard and his perfect little wife, but this…this thing you're playing at…it's not going to help."

She finally stepped back, the mask coming up as she got angry. "So, what…I stay away for a little while, and you're not interested? Gee, Spike, I thought you were all about going after the unattainable. How much could you really 'love' me, if you don't even want to make me feel better?" she snapped. "Or did my absence hit just a little too far below the…belt, and you're not up to performing anymore…Is that it, Spikey? Did the fact that I _can_ resist you break down your…_confidence_?"

His eyes narrowed in anger as he grabbed her, pressing her body against the erection that always appeared when she was around. "Does that feel like I'm not _up_ to it, pet? No, the problem is your _attitude_, and I'm sick and tired of you yanking my chain every time you have an itch you can't scratch. If all you want is a fuck, then find some poor sap at The Bronze. You'll ride him to death, but hey, what a way to go, right pet?"

She shoved him away with Slayer strength, sending him scrambling to the floor. "I don't need this! Don't think you'll get a second chance, Spikey! I don't know why I ever thought an evil, soulless, _thing_ would understand!"

He laughed mockingly as he rose to his feet. "Hurts, don't it, luv? You managed to drive me away, too. Oh, it wasn't your skills in the bedroom that were in question. It was the _girl_. You want to see a 'soulless thing'? Try looking in the mirror. Dawn was right. You _aren't_ the same Buffy that we buried. _She_ was a class act, a hero, and _loved_ her family. What have _you_ been up to these past months?" Spike purposefully strode to the door and opened it. "Now get out of my house. You find a heart again, and maybe we can talk."

The Slayer picked her jaw up off the floor, her face hardened again. She stomped out of the crypt, refusing to look at him, until she stopped in front of the vampire and laid him out with a full-force punch. The door slammed as he hit the wall.

"Guess I struck a nerve," he groaned. Spike crawled to his chair and slumped into it, his head falling into his hands.

What had he done? All the anger and resentment from rejection after rejection…her cold treatment from the time she'd beaten his face in a month ago…it just poured out in the form of every insult he could think of that might hurt her. The woman he'd professed to love more than any other. And he did, even now. Maybe she'd hate him for the rest of her life. Maybe she'd stake him. Maybe it would be a wake-up call. Mentioning Dawn probably hadn't been the best idea. His head shot up, prompting another groan, as he realized Dawn could be in for an attack she wasn't prepared for. That's what Buffy did, when she got defensive – she struck out to hurt.

Spike pulled himself together, grabbed his coat, and raced for the Summers' home. He had to be there in case his Niblet was in trouble.

----------------

The door slammed, signaling her sister was home. _Great. Another Buffy bad mood_, Dawn thought. Her sister shut the TV off and turned on her, looking mad enough to kill.

"Where the _hell_ do you get off talking to Spike behind my back, Dawn? I slave away at that fucking rat trap every day so you can have a roof over your head, all so you can whine to my mortal enemy?"

Dawn straightened up, on the defensive. "So what if I talk to Spike? It's not like I have anyone else to talk about _the Slayer_ with? You're never home. You never listen to me. If you hate me so much, then why don't you send me to Dad already? At least there, I _know_ where I stand."

"You know, I just might! You've been a constant burden since the monks made you, anyway! I had a life before you brought Glory to town," Buffy screamed.

"I _knew_ it! You've blamed me for your death since Willow brought you back, and I wish she never did! It's why you were so willing to leave me for prison, right? Why you've been screwing Spike just to avoid all of us? Why you're so cold, like a zombie? Do you think I _wanted_ to be the Key? _I have no choice!_"

"_I was in Heaven!_ I was done, finished, complete! _You_ have no choice? I've _never_ had a choice! Couldn't stop Dad from leaving. Couldn't stop being the Slayer. Couldn't keep Angel from leaving. Couldn't save Mom. So, I was ready. Done. I had my death wish, and Spike knew it. He always knows things I don't want him to…and I welcomed that portal, Dawn, because I knew you'd all be better without me. But Willow couldn't leave it be, and I _hate_ her for that…my best friend…something's always been wrong with me, and it's just gotten worse." Buffy took a steadying breath and wiped her face of expression. "So, if you want to go live with Dad or Aunt Cheryl, I won't stop you. I'm just going to wreck your life, too."

"Buffy, I…"

"I don't hate you, Dawn. I'm screwed up, really fucked in the head, but I don't hate you. I love you, or at least I would, if I could still feel. I'll…let you think it over, okay? Good night, Dawn," she said quietly, and went upstairs to bed.

Dawn sat on the couch, reeling, not knowing what to think. _What do I do? Should I call Giles? Dad? Our aunt? And what happened with Spike?_ Doing her best thinking while moving, she took her dishes into the kitchen and proceeded to wash them. Lifting her head from the sink, she spotted Spike out the window, and gestured for him to go to the back door.

"Are you alright, Bit?" he whispered, as soon as she stepped out on the porch.

"Yeah…I think so. What happened tonight?" she whispered back.

"Your sis and I had some words. I got hot-headed, said some things I didn't really mean… Did she take it out on you?"

"We yelled…and she offered to let me go…"

"Go?"

"To Dad's, or our aunt. I think she just wants to give up, but who knows if anything she said will stick tomorrow? She could be back to Pod-Buffy again. I wish Mom was still here."

Spike gathered her into his arms. "I know, sweets…I know. We all forget that you and your sis are still grieving. With all the turmoil from the Hell-bitch, you never really got a chance to properly. And your sister's death just complicates things…"

"She said she doesn't hate me…that she'd love me if she could still feel. How does a human not feel anymore, Spike? It shouldn't be possible…we're not built like robots," she said through tears.

"Your sister still feels, Bit. She just doesn't think she does. She's so focused on the pain that she can't see beyond it. It's why she cries at night. I wish I could make things better for both you, luv. I really do."

"But you can't, Spike," Buffy interjected from the kitchen. Vampire and teenager sprung apart, both looking uncertain and a little afraid.

"Slayer…"

She shook her head. "It's alright, Spike. I should know by now that I can't keep the two of you away from each other. Dawn, it's getting late…"

"I get the hint. I'll go to bed." She started to walk past her sister, who stopped her.

"We'll talk tomorrow, okay?"

The teen nodded, and continued upstairs.

"Buffy, I…" Spike started to apologize.

"You're right, as usual. And don't expect me to admit that again. I've been using you, and it just hurts us both. It was my fault in the first place. Becoming…friends, like we started to, scared me, and there was so much I wanted to forget…and you were good at making me forget. My world got turned upside-down…I mean, who'd ever think I would confide in you instead of my friends? I'm not good with the emotional stuff…never have been…and, well, if I can't do that, then I at least have to figure out what's best for Dawn. I do wish Mom was here, but she's not, so I owe her to figure this out…because I think she's been pretty disappointed in me so far…" She was rambling, and crying by now. Spike stepped forward to comfort her.

"Pet…" He stopped when Buffy held up her hand.

"No, no…let me finish. What I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry, and you should get away from me…not because I'm mad, but because I can't do anything but hurt you, and I can't be what you want. What I did, to your face…I've been living with the guilt for so long, and I hate what I am now…it's killing me to be like this, William. So, please…don't let me near enough to do that anymore!" For once, she let the truth shine in her hazel eyes, and he saw that she did care.

Spike nodded in acceptance. "As you wish, luv. I'm sorry…for what I said earlier. I just want to see you happy, Buffy. You used to smile and laugh, and it was glorious."

She laughed a little through a sob. "I did, didn't I? God…it seems like a lifetime ago." She brushed the tears off her cheeks and composed herself. "Well, I should…"

"Right. It's been a long night. You're probably exhausted."

Buffy nodded. "Yeah. Good night, Spike."

"G' night, Buffy." He turned and walked away.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It was a solemn Spike that walked back to his crypt from the Summers' house. Oddly, though, he felt lighter, too. He wasn't sure how pain and relief could live in the same space, but they were here with him now. His relationship with Buffy was officially over, and no blood had been spilled…well, not in the final conversation. 'Closure' is what they had now…what all the experts said you needed. What now, though? Did they avoid each other? Try to be 'friends'? Demon-fighting partners? Spike liked to know where he stood…what the rules were. Usually, so he could break said rules, but in this case, he just wanted to make it as easy on Buffy as possible. Her recovery and happiness was still his top priority. Love didn't end for him overnight. Hell, there was even still a part of him that loved his sire, crazy bitch that she was.

--------------

Buffy was up by the time Dawn came out of the shower, making scrambled eggs.

"You're cooking?" the teen asked, confused. Her sister only ever used the microwave, except for cereal.

"Yeah. You should get something better than cereal for breakfast. Mom used to make pancakes, even on school days. I can at least stir around some eggs." Buffy slid the eggs onto a plate and slid it over to Dawn, followed by salt, pepper, and ketchup. "You have the weirdest taste in food, you know? Ketchup on eggs, and anchovy pizzas…"

She shrugged. "Could be worse, I guess. Thanks for making these. So…you look…better, this morning."

"I feel a little better…maybe. I guess it's that cart thing, where I got stuff off my chest?"

"You mean, 'catharsis'?"

"Yeah, that. See, I knew you were smarter than me."

"Buffy, stop trying to butter me up. It's weird. Just say what you want to."

"Okay…well, before Social Services takes you to a foster home, we need to figure out what's best for you, right? I've already sucked at being responsible for you…and I honestly don't know if I can do better, Dawnie. It's still hard getting out of bed in the morning lots of days…and you shouldn't have to suffer for my…crap. So, I'll understand if you want to go somewhere that you know the roof is going to stay over your head. Cuz even with the double shifts, I'm not making all the bills on time. And I should be charging Willow rent…that's another mistake of mine…not having that confrontation. So…um, since it's just us now, I wanted to be honest with you and let you be part of what happens now. I've been such a horrible sister…" she said tremulously. It seemed that once she had let the tears out last night, that they wouldn't stop coming, even during a simple conversation.

A thought popped in Dawn's head, and she giggled.

"You're laughing at me now?" Buffy asked, mortified.

"No…not really. It's just something Anya said once popped in my head…she swore that you had been raised Catholic; because of the guilt trips you put on yourself. It was funny to me then, cuz Mom only ever took us to church for Christmas and Easter and it was never a Catholic one. Kinda accurate, though, huh?"

Buffy giggled, too. "Yeah, I guess. You know, I don't really know why I started that? Maybe it was junior high, when everybody started pushing me to be Miss Perfect Popularity. I was always so afraid of letting everybody down…not meeting their expectations…even though Mom and Dad didn't ask much of me until after slaying started ruining my life…"

"You wanna know my opinion?"

"I'm almost afraid to ask."

"Gasp! Buffy almost made a joke! No, seriously…I think you look at slaying all wrong. I mean, you were chosen out of all the girls in the world at that time to carry this awesome legacy. Think about it – that had to be, like, a billion teens, right? And it landed on you. That's huge! Whatever makes that decision saw something special in Buffy Summers, 15-year-old Valley girl. Whistler sent Angel to _you_. Spike saw _you_ at The Bronze and had to know more. Don't you see, Buffy? You were meant for something."

"I…I never knew you felt that way…" the blonde replied in awe.

Dawn shrugged. "You never asked, but since we're being all true confessions this morning, I figured it was worth mentioning. Not that I want you to get a big head about it, or anything, cuz you already can get quite a pole up your ass—"

"Dawn! Language!"

"It's true! Sometimes, you get on this self-righteous kick that's just nauseating—"

"Okay, okay…I get that there's a mid ground between self-loathing and arrogance," she responded dryly.

"Exactly, and not to be more of a pain…but Xander and Willow don't help you with that."

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked genuinely.

"Well…they put you on this pedestal…because you have superpowers? Except when you're not perfect, and then they judge you…and you let them." Dawn cringed, once she had spoken her piece. Buffy didn't usually take it well when someone spoke harshly about her friends.

"No, you're right. I've let everybody have this huge say in my life since Angel. I'm so afraid of making the wrong choice and putting them all in danger like that again. So many people died when he lost his soul, Dawnie…"

"You didn't know what would happen, Buffy. How were you to know that there was a clause on Angel's soul?"

"That's true, but afterwards, when I couldn't kill him right away…that's when I failed, Dawn. Even Spike paid for my hesitation."

"That was Drusilla's decision. You're not to blame for that, either. You have to stop doing that, Buffy."

"I don't know how! Logically, when I think about things, I _do_ know that things were other people's choices, and not mine, but it doesn't make me _feel_ any less responsible. You didn't see how they all looked at me back then. Giles was so disappointed! Xander kept saying 'I told you so' about me being involved with a vamp. And Willow just looked scared all the time, like I'd failed to get rid of the boogeyman under her bed…"

"Do you think they're better at making choices than you are, then?"

"I…"

"Cuz Willow? Brought you back from the dead without checking where you were first, and broke my arm. Xander's marrying an ex-vengeance demon, so he has no room to judge you about your boyfriends. Giles spent months getting drunk because he thought he was useless to you, then ran away because he's too afraid to be your 'dad'…"

"Okay, okay…so they're as flawed as I am. What do you want me to do about it?" Buffy asked, frustrated.

"Live your life! The only people you're really responsible to are you, and me, cuz I'm still a minor and you're my legal guardian. Oh, and Uncle Sam for taxes. Everybody else is just contributing opinions."

"You really think about all this stuff? Are you sure you're only 15?"

"No, I'm a thousands of years old Key. Have to absorb _something_ over the millennia. And right now, I'm supposed to be absorbing first period."

Buffy's head whipped around to the clock. "Oh, shit! Sorry! Should I just call in for you?"

"You'd really let me miss today?!" the teen exclaimed, surprised.

"Well, we do have stuff to do…I think I can make an exception just this once."

"Now, I know you've flipped the bend. The Buffy I know would never let me miss school if I'm not sick," Dawn teased.

Buffy paused in dialing the school's number. "Keep it up, Brat, and I'll make you go in late."

Dawn mimicked the zipping motion over her lips and listened to Buffy make excuses to the attendance office about her having food poisoning.

-------------

When Corinne dropped by Spike's place, she found him loading things into a box.

"Are you moving?" she asked.

"What, this? No…it's just some things I'm returning to someone." He sealed the box with some tape and set it by the door. "So, how've you been?"

"Busy, as you probably guessed from my absence. You wanna catch a movie or something?"

"Sure, pet. Just let me turn the lights out." He headed for a hole in the floor and dropped through it. She'd never noticed it before.

"You have a hole in your floor."

"_Yes_," he drawled. "Thought it was common knowledge by now, Doc," he called from below.

She blushed and felt thankful he couldn't see her at the moment. "I just never spotted it. I don't know…I didn't really think about how you go below the crypt."

His head popped out of the hole suddenly, surprising her. "You'd think a doctor would be more observant," he teased. Spike flipped the trap door down, then covered it with the rug again.

"Well, in my defense, you did have it hidden!"

"You're cute when you blush, kitten," he teased further, grinning unabashedly. Which only made her blush further.

_Stupid pale complexion_, Corinne grumbled. Though her hair was dark auburn, she still had the redhead coloring, including the fair skin and freckles. "Did you just call me 'kitten'?"

"Huh…guess I did. I do that with women, you know. Shall we be off?" He looped his arm around hers and dragged her out the door.

_Guess he's eager to get out of the house tonight…_

It started to drizzle as they stepped outside, so the pair made a mad dash for the car.

"This has been a pretty wet week," Corinne commented, heading for the theater next to the mall.

Spike scoffed. "This is nothin'. Try growing up in London, pet. The sun shining in the morning had no bearing on what the afternoon would be like. Good vampire town, though. It's nice not to be constricted to moving around only at night."

"Do you ever wish you could be human again? To have certain freedoms back?"

"Humanity's overrated, luv. The only thing I miss is walking around in sunlight. Becoming a vampire _was_ freedom for me, Doc. No worries about human frailties, no rules to follow. The world was brought into sharper focus, and the night can be so beautiful. Anywhere I wanted to go, anything I wanted to see…it was all mine for the taking."

"Isn't it also more dangerous? You have to hide from society, choose carefully what you eat, make sure there's always shelter…just think if that military organization you told me about had gone public and made everyone believe your kind had to be wiped out. The right tactics and motivation…it could be done in a few years," she countered.

"But they're not…and we'd adapt. We always do. As long as there have been humans, there have been vampires, pet. The smart ones survive because they know how to blend in. You'd be amazed at who's actually a demon on this rock. And the light's green."

"Ooops."

"Cori?"

"Yeah?"

"You think too much."

"I know," she sighed

---------------

Two hours later, Spike was standing outside the hall for the restrooms, waiting for Corinne. He rolled his eyes, cursing his luck, as Xander walked out of the restroom.

"Well, if it isn't Deadboy Jr.? Whatcha doin' here, Spike? Swiping wallets?"

"No, you nit. I'm waiting for a friend."

The dark-haired carpenter laughed. "Oh, that's a good one! You?! Have a _friend?!_"

Corinne stepped up from behind Spike and linked her arm with his. "Yeah, he does. What's it to _you_?"

Anya joined the group, having come out right behind Corinne. She smacked Xander on the arm. "Xander! Can you not insult people in public?! He's one of our wedding guests. You insult people, they don't bring good presents!"

Xander's eyes bugged out. "You invited the Bleached Wonder? Ahn!"

"What? He saved your life several times last summer, and he brings me trinkets to sell in the shop. Besides, he could help in case some of the demon guests get too drunk, right, Spike?" Anya said sweetly.

Xander spoke instead, noticing the contact between the pair. "So, finally picked up a demon chick, Spikey? Or is this more a _paid_ companion?" he asked snidely.

Corinne immediately felt her friend tense and step forward, saying "Spike, don't!" just as he popped Xander on the jaw. Both males dropped – Xander from the impact, and Spike from the splitting migraine. She knelt down with him, one hand massaging the nape of his neck.

"That was kinda stupid," she whispered. "But thank you."

"Harris doesn't have the right to speak to you like that. Oh, bloody hell, that hurt!" Spike slowly rose to his feet, shaking the last of his blurry vision away. Anya had dragged the unconscious young man over to a bench. "Sorry about the mark that's going to leave, pet," he said to her.

She dismissed the apology with a wave of her hand. "He deserved it. It's him I'm going to yell at when I see the wedding pictures. I could have told him your friend wasn't a demon! You're still coming, right? It's going to throw off my whole seating chart if I'm left with an empty chair," Anya stated hopefully

"I, uh…"

"He'll be there, and with a nice gift, too," Corinne interjected. "Come on, Spike. I'm hungry." She dragged the vampire away before Xander could wake up.

"Thanks a lot, pet. Now you've roped me into going to a wedding I couldn't care less about. I'm _not_ spending _my_ dosh on Harris' lazy fat ass!"

"So, I'll get it for you, for the _bride_. Did you see her face? It was really important to her. Aren't you always saying that not many people are nice to you? Well, she was, so maybe you should return the favor," she countered.

"I don't want to go," he insisted petulantly.

"Why not?" Corinne demanded to know.

"Slayer'll be there," Spike mumbled.

"Okay…and?"

"And…we were involved…"

"So?"

"Emphasis on _were_, pet. 'S gonna be bloody awkward. 've hardly seen her since…" Spike shook his head and resumed walking, only to have Corinne get in his space.

"Since when, Spike?" He'd been hedging and avoiding the subject of 'the Slayer' for weeks, and she really wanted to know why…what was so important…

He leaned into her space, his face hardened. "Since she beat my face in, alright? She's the one who left me in that alley. You happy?!" he shouted.

"That you're finally not keeping it bottled up? Yeah, I am! Keep going…" Corinne stayed right where she was in that parking lot, not flinching from his intense blue eyes.

"_Alright_. I love her…I've loved her for 2 years, nearly died for her numerous times, saved her sister more times than that, as well as that miserable lot she calls friends…and she took out every bit of pain and rage out on me. I thought I could handle it, too…thought if I absorbed some of it…gave her an outlet, that she'd get better…that she'd see…" The topic already had him so worked up, he was panting unnecessary breaths.

"See what, Spike?" she asked gently.

"See _me_. More than the 'Big Bad', more than 'mortal enemy'. We'd started on that path, you know…in those last days…and even when she first came back, she confided in me…_only_ me, and I wanted to think that meant something. Thought I made it easier for her to be alive by just letting her be…not like the soddin' Scoobies that expected her to be like her old self right away. And then the spell, and then she kissed me…and I finally got my crumb, or at least I thought I did. She denied it, though. Kissed me again, and still denied it. Jumped my bones in a crumbling building, and still denied she felt anything for me. The cycle went over and over – she'd come for cold comfort, always demanding it hard and fast, then scramble off as soon as her legs worked again, usually with a punch to my nose for good measure…" Spike's words came faster and faster, Corinne trying to keep up with the story blanks. He trailed off again, until she prompted him.

"And the night of the alley?"

"I tried to stop her from turning herself in for accidentally killing a girl. Only she didn't, was just made to think she did. Tried to convince her that all the good she's done outweighed one mistake…that it wasn't worth throwing her life away for." Spike chuckled mirthlessly. "_Wrong_ thing to say. Slayer lost it, then…poured everything on me, just like I'd asked her to. The name-calling wasn't something I enjoyed…None of it matters now. We're done, she's apologized, and we go on with life, or unlife, in my case. You know what really hurt, though?" He started walking again, only to turn around and phrase that last question.

"What, Spike?"

"After I kept Dawn safe from Glory, the hell god…barely got out of there with my life, Buffy told me that what I had done, for her, for them, was real, and she would never forget it. Made me feel like a man in those last weeks for the first time in over a century, and as soon as she'd kissed me…just months later…it became a lie. A lie she convinced herself of so well, that she never bleedin' looked back when she left me in that alley…not one soddin' glance. I was back to being a monster in her eyes…and she'd never been that harsh when I _was_ that monster. I was…_worthless_ to her…and she never looked for me to see how I was. Clem told me. He followed her around while I was sleeping, wanting to make sure she didn't try to finish the job. Wouldn't have been able to put up much of a fight with only one eye open…the broken ribs, I could handle…hadn't been the first time, after all…But she never came. I meant _nothing_ at the time, and I'd thought…" He sobbed it all out, saying it out loud for the first time. Corinne rushed to comfort him.

"God, Spike…I'm sorry…"

He took her hand and squeezed it. "Nothin' to be sorry for, luv. You've been a real gem. I didn't tell you about the ribs because I could fix them on my own. They heal up fairly fast, anyway."

"I meant about all that…" And she did. It horrified her that anyone could be treated like that, especially by someone they cared for.

Spike smiled, almost. "I know you did, Cori. She came to the crypt a week ago, when her old boyfriend arrived in town with a new wife, and wanted me to make her feel better. Talk about role reversal! I actually refused to take her to bed…tried to get her to let me comfort her another way…but she pushed, like Buffy always does when she wants her way…and I said things. She said things, too, and I told her to go. I couldn't believe what I'd done, you know? Got a punch in the face for it, but I threw the woman I love out of my home." He shook his head in disbelief. "I thought she might take it out on Dawn, though, so I ran to the house…talked to Niblet once the Slayer'd gone off to bed, but I guess she must have heard us…"

"What happened?" she gasped, afraid of what he'd say.

He smiled, then, wonder crossing his face as he relived the moment. "She was honest, for once. And kind. Whatever had gone on between her and the Bit before I got there must have made an impact, because it was a Slayer I'd never seen before. Being Buffy, she didn't admit a lot, because the girl is scared to death of her own bloody emotions, but it was enough. And now we're just…done."

"Are you okay with that?" Corinne wondered.

Spike laughed at the simplicity of the question. "Yes and no. It was destroying both of us…and so there's relief, but I still love her more than anything. So yeah, it hurts to be apart, but I want to see her well, and happy. She hasn't been happy for a lot longer than the past months…things that have nothing to do with me. I just don't know what happens now." Spike dug in his pockets for his cigarettes and lighter, lighting one up and blowing the smoke away from his friend.

"Well, it's a small town. You're going to run into each other. I say you just try to be…normal. Maybe there's a bit of hope for that friendship you mentioned someday." Corinne wanted to say something encouraging, since that hope still meant so much to him.

"Ever the optimist?" he replied with a crooked smile.

"Pretty much," Corinne agreed. "Now, about that food…"

"I swear you're feeding a tape worm…"

She slapped his arm. "Watch it…"

_A friendship like this, I hope_, Spike thought, as they drove to the Italian place. There hadn't been a companion in his life he could really confide in since his sister had died as a girl. He and Dawn were close, for sure, but with the age difference…even as a 28-year-old human, he wouldn't tell her everything. Joyce was a different sort, as well, and Clem…well, there were some things they just didn't relate on. To get to a point where he could talk and laugh with Buffy like he could the Doc…he would eagerly consider it a kind of heaven. The only kind he could ever touch. Only time would tell.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Early March – Xander and Anya's wedding day…

Corinne knocked on Spike's door, an oversized umbrella open over her head shielding her against the rain. He promptly opened the door, wearing all black.

"One would think you were going to a funeral," she teased, stepping inside as she folded the umbrella.

"Nicest stuff I've got. Leave off. What about you? All I see is black coat."

"Fine." Corinne unbuttoned her long coat and opened it so he could see her dress. A whistle and a leer was her reward. "I take it you approve?"

"I'd have to be blind not to, pet. Demon Girl might complain, though. She won't want anyone outshining the bride," he flattered.

Her nimble fingers worked on re-fastening the coat. "Oh, stop! This isn't even a formal. No need to butter me up when I'm already going with you."

Spike looked insulted. "Why would I lie about a woman's beauty? Call things like I see 'em, luv. You know that." The silky drop to his voice was well-practiced, she was sure, but it was still nice to be found worthy.

"Come on, you ol' smoothie. We're going to be late."

---------------

Buffy, Willow, and Tara were there in their bridesmaids' dresses. The guests were seated and waiting. And no one had seen Xander and Anya.

"Do you think they both got cold feet at the same time?" Willow asked. "The wedding is supposed to start in 10 minutes."

"Anya wouldn't do that. She's been too focused on this day being perfect," Buffy replied. Tara nodded in agreement.

"We could send someone to check the apartment?" Tara suggested.

There was a knock on the door, so speculation had to wait.

"Hey, guys. I think you'll want to get out here. Xander and Anya just showed up," Dawn informed them. They eagerly filed out to see what was going on.

Buffy had only a minute to notice Spike standing in the back by the gift table with some woman before Xander took the microphone from the minister and addressed the crowd.

"Uh, thanks everybody…for coming. There isn't going to be a wedding today." The crowd started to talk all at once. Anya took the mic away from him.

"Because we eloped!" she gushed. Troubled murmurs changed to cheers, which she waved down. "I know, I know, but we just couldn't wait. Xander whisked me off to Vegas last night after hearing it might rain today." She looked at her new husband lovingly. "And he wanted my day to be perfect."

"So, I guess we're skipping straight to the reception…" Most of the guests rushed off for the bar at that. Xander shrugged and threw his arms up in the air, knowing any other words wouldn't be heard.

Willow rushed up to the stage, hugged him, then slugged his arm. "You couldn't have called us before we put on these dresses?!"

"Sorry, Will. We've been busy," he said unapologetically.

Buffy hugged him next, then Dawn, while the others congratulated a glowing Anya. Meanwhile, the hall attendants had caught word of the change, and were rapidly changing the room around for the reception. In all the bustle, no one noticed an angry demon making his way towards the happy couple.

The demon raised a wand, ready to fire. "You ruined my life, Anyanka!" he bellowed. The magic burst fortunately hit the wall behind and above the group, thanks to Spike tackling him from behind.

"Not so fast, mate," he growled, punching the demon once, twice. Dazed on the floor, it didn't get the chance to fight back before Spike gripped the head between his strong hands and twisted the neck. The resounding crack signaled the demon's death, and the guests' safety.

The humans in attendance stood in shock, frozen at what they had witnessed. The demons just shrugged their shoulders and went back to mingling.

"Slayer! A little distraction might be in order?" Spike hinted to Buffy, gesturing towards the DJ.

She blinked, then caught the suggestion. "Right!" And rushed over to get the dance music playing.

"Just a normal day at the office, Spike?" Corinne asked, joining her 'date'. He brushed himself off as two of Anya's demon friends dragged the dead demon off somewhere.

He grinned cockily. "Something like that, pet."

"Uh, hi…" Buffy's voice flowed from the loudspeaker. "Maid of honor, here. I wanted to congratulate Xander and Anya, and announce that it's time for their first dance." _Chances Are_ started to play as Xander took the hand of his bride and led her out to the middle of the floor. She giggled and spun into his arms, her ruffled dress flowing around her.

The guests soon got caught up in the romantic moment, the photographer started taking pictures, and trouble was all but forgotten. Later, as the couple mingled about the room thanking their guests, Xander came up to Spike.

"Don't think this means we're going to be buddies or anything, but thank you. I don't know what I'd do if I lost her," the young man quietly admitted.

"I didn't do it for you. Anyanka's been fair to me. It's only right that she get to enjoy her big day," Spike gruffly replied. Xander nodded and started to leave. "Oh, and Whelp…now you know how it feels…" _When Buffy died._

The young man considered the statement. "I guess I do. Enjoy the party, Spike."

Corinne walked up with their drinks and handed Spike his whisky. "What was that about?"

"Just the boy being gracious for once. Care to dance, pet? A lady can't attend a party like this without at least one turn around the floor." He charmingly offered his arm, sporting his most winning grin.

She sipped her drink, then set it on a chair. "I'd love to," Corinne replied, taking his offered arm. Turning as one once they reached the floor, the pair smoothly melding with the beat of the song already in progress. They joined a mix of demons and humans, Spike effortlessly steering them around the more offensive types.

Across the room, Tara approached the Slayer. Buffy was sitting on a chair against the wall, occasionally sipping a soda as she watched the dancers.

"You okay?" the blonde Wiccan asked quietly.

"Sure. Why wouldn't I be?" she replied, turning to her friend.

"Well, you've hardly danced today…and Spike's here, with a date?" Tara gently suggested.

Buffy shrugged. "He's free to do as he likes. And I've danced with Xander a few times…"

"Still…you could ask him for a dance…I don't think he'd mind. And it's a wedding. No one will say anything," Tara added.

Buffy gave her standard issue smile. "I'll think about it, but really…I've been pretty busy with this maid of honor stuff. Someone has to keep us on time…"

Tara nodded indulgently. "If you say so. I think I'll go see how Dawn is fairing with the live gifts." They shared a laugh.

Once Buffy was alone again, she let the smile fade as her eyes found Spike and his date on the dance floor again. She shouldn't be feeling sad that another girl was in his arms. Shouldn't be envious of how the violet dress showed off the woman's curves. Shouldn't feel jealous. Shouldn't wish it was _her_ he was laughing and whispering with. Shouldn't want to be around a vampire at all.

-------------

"Single ladies! It's time to catch the bouquet! Hurry out on that floor…you don't want to miss your chance!"

What a motley crew that announcement assembled! Dawn was standing between a Vengeance Demon, and a Baraghk. No one was standing too close to the Slayer at the back, though. Willow and Tara were in the mix with Halfrek and some demons they couldn't identify. Spike had nudged Corinne out there. She was just trying not to bump anybody and make them angry.

Anya tossed a smaller bouquet version of her own. Everybody cleared some space as the two demons it had landed in between fought over the flowers until there were shredded pieces littering the floor. Who knew it was Caraq mating season?

The happy couple cut the cake next, shared one more dance, and skipped out without a word.

"Pay up, guys. I had three hours before they bolted out of the reception to go have sex," Dawn informed the bridesmaids.

"Aw, phooey! I had hope that Xander would last another half hour with the promise of food," Willow complained, handing over her ten dollars to the teen.

"Nah, that wouldn't have made a difference. Anya owns him now," Buffy quipped.

"I'm surprised they lasted this long."

"Tara!"

"Well, it is _them!_" she justified. They had to admit she was right.

"Looks like the lovebirds have flown the coop. Nice party, ladies. Thank Anya for the booze," Spike said, coming over to say goodbye.

"You're leaving?" Buffy blurted out. He quirked a brow at her, but just nodded.

"The natives are getting a bit too sloshed, Slayer. Might want to get the gifts tucked away before there's a brawl."

Corinne looked between the two and made a decision. "I'll go get our coats."

Finding themselves alone, the vampire and Slayer shuffled about uneasily, unsure what to say next. Spike finally broke the silence, as usual.

"You look beautiful, Buffy."

"Even in radioactive green?" she quipped, gesturing to her dress.

He smirked. "Even so. Today should have you pretty happy, right? Seeing your mates make a successful go of it…"

Buffy nodded. "Thanks. Yeah…someone should be able to make it work, right? It's starting to look good between Willow and Tara again, though…" She looked towards the two lovers, who were moving the gifts.

Spike frowned. "Well, as long as Red can avoid the mojo…"

"Yeah…so, um…who's your date?" she asked, not really looking at him.

"That's just Doc. She's a friend," he replied, ready to be defensive against her curiosity.

"Oh. I didn't know you knew any humans…other than us, I mean…"

They might have carried on with the awkward conversation forever, if Dawn hadn't chosen to announce she was ready to 'go home and get off her high heels'. Buffy smiled gratefully at her sister.

"Okay, Dawnie. Go get our stuff. We just need to make sure the gifts are loaded up. They're coming back to the house while Xan and Anya are on their honeymoon." She turned back to Spike. "I gotta…"

"Right. I, uh…can patrol tonight for you. Let you have a night off your feet after today…" he offered.

"That'd be nice. Thank you, Spike." She smiled at him, then hurried off to help Willow and Tara move the gifts.

Corinne rejoined her friend, now that he was alone. "You okay?"

He dropped his gaze to hers and nodded. "Yeah, luv. I'm fine."

"I'm glad. Ready to go?" She handed him his coat, which Spike slung over his arm so he could help her on with hers first.

"Ready when you are." Spike took the umbrella once they stepped through the door, holding it over her more than himself.

Buffy came out of the dressing room and watched them go, not wanting to admit to herself how much it bothered her to see him stand so close to another woman.


	7. Chapter 7

Since this story is Spike-centric, instead of Buffy-centric, this is my version of "Normal Again". If you have questions about the meanings of Spike's hallucinations, please feel free to ask.

Chapter 7

Another night, another patrol for Spike. Current rumblings of demonic threats had him hunting near the woods at the edge of town. He'd just killed a demon with waxy skin and bad teeth…wearing a cape, of all things. Glar…something-or-other. He'd remember the name soon enough. Spike licked up the blood dripping from the long gash on the back of his hand and turned for home, his job done for the night.

-------------

_William walked through the park, eyes squinting behind wire-frame glasses at the bright sunlight. He stopped to buy some flowers from a girl for his mother, and turned for home._

-------------

He warmed up a mug of blood, as usual, then dropped to the lower level to prepare for bed. Stripping off his clothes and leaving them where they dropped, Spike turned the lever for his makeshift shower and plunged his head under the spray, washing away the demon blood from the night's fights.

-------------

_The ice cold water dumped over his head caused the young vampire to suddenly wake._

_"I'm not done with you, yet, boy! Did I say you could sleep?!"_

_"N-no, Sire! I'm sor—"_

_**Crack**_

_"A demon never says they're sorry, boy! Keep your mouth shut until I tell you to open it!"_

_William nodded, hoping obedience would get him out of the chains faster. He never knew when these moods of Angelus' would change._

-------------

Spike shut off the water and reached for his towel. No one would get him to admit it, but there were times he longed for hot water and a bath. Cold water got him clean, but with heat, he could pretend…just for a little while.

More steps of his nightly ritual – combing gel through his hair so the curls wouldn't spring wild in his sleep, tossing his clothes in the laundry bag, blowing out most of the candles – and he was ready to sleep. Spike was just about to slip into bed, when he remembered the rest of the demon's name. He scribed it down on a piece of paper found in the nightstand, and blew out the last candle, plunging his world into darkness.

--------------

_"Disgusting! Vile! A **thing** to be used. That's all you'll ever be, Spike!" Buffy's disembodied voice threw every insult at him he'd ever felt hurtful. "You can't love! You don't even **deserve** it!"_

_He stood in darkness, enough light to see himself, but nothing else. Couldn't smell or hear anyone else…wherever he was._

_"Buffy?" he called uncertainly._

_"William…did you think that beautiful girl would **love** you?" The voice of his mother. No, the voice of the **thing** he made her. "Pathetic! Did you enjoy her discipline, son? Did it remind you of Mummy's punishments when you were a boy? Did you pretend you were between my legs when you were ravishing your whore?"_

_"Stop it! You're not her!"_

_"We're all real, my boy. You've known it inside all along, Willie. You were a pathetic excuse for a human, and a horrible example of a vampire. No wonder Dru came running the moment I was back to myself," he grandsire mocked._

_"Fuck you, Angelus! I stopped caring what spewed out of your mouth a bloody long damn time ago!"_

_"Tut, tut, my prince…mustn't speak to your elders that way. My Spike will have no tea and cakes today…"_

_"Dru…luv…if this is one of your barmy games…" Spike growled. Her tinkling laughter was the only answer._

_"Spike? Spike?!" A friendly voice called him away._

---------------

"_Spike?!_" Corinne tried shaking him awake, concerned.

"Wha'? Doc?" He blinked, confused, and rattled his head side to side to clear it. "Wha's the matter, pet?"

"You weren't upstairs when I got here, and then I found you down here growling in your sleep. Bad dream?" Her grey eyes showed her worry, as she observed the faint circles under his eyes. His skin was never discolored, unless he'd been in a fight.

"Something like that." Spike propped himself up on his elbows, carefully. He didn't want the bedding sliding much lower than it already was. 'Must have tossed a bit in my sleep.' "Don't really remember. What time is it?"

"8 o'clock. I got out of the hospital late. You never sleep this late unless you've been thrashed. Are you okay?" Her gaze wandered over the skin visible to her, looking for signs of injury. The only thing she saw was a nasty cut on his hand. Corinne picked it up and examined the wound more closely. Spike hissed as she poked at it. "Sorry. How did you get this? It looks nasty."

"Demon fight last night. Bugger scratched me with one of his claws. Looks worse than it feels. I'm a fast healer, remember?" He didn't take his hand back, yet, enjoying the warmth from hers.

"Did you clean it?"

"Soap and water. Quit your worryin', pet. Vampires don't get infections. Now, uh…if you don't mind, I'd like to get dressed…"

"Oh, right…oh! You, uh…" The doctor's eyes went wide as she caught on.

"Sleep in the buff?" he filled in, smirking at the blush that crept over her cheeks.

Corinne muttered more apologies and hurried to the ladder, flying up it as she heard the covers rustling. She busied herself with warming up his breakfast in the microwave. He came up a minute later, boots on but loose, and a button-down shirt still unbuttoned.

"You didn't have to do that," he said softly, tying his shoes. The microwave dinged, and she grabbed the mug.

"I wanted to." She sat down on the sofa, setting the mug in front of him, and tried not to stare at his chest, her gaze fixed on her knees.

Okay, so occasionally, she noticed that her friend was really hot. And male. And really defined. And Corinne would catch herself and put him firmly back in the 'friend zone' in her mind. Friends were a valuable commodity. Especially ones that didn't ask for favors all the time. Ones that let her be herself, even when that meant she was being a dork. Yes, a smart girl didn't screw up a relationship like that.

"Pet…"

"Hmm?"

"You seemed a million miles away." Now, it was his gaze that appeared concerned. She smiled reassuringly.

"I just wandered a bit. It was a long day. What do you want to eat tonight?"

---------------

_"Aren't you a ripe treat?" he drawled at the blonde that had lost her way. "Long way from home, luv?"_

_The teenaged girl relaxed at seeing such a handsome man in front of her on the dark street. "I think I took a wrong turn. Can you tell me where Simpson Street is?"_

_"Sure thing, pet. I'll even take you there," he purred._

_The girl beamed at him in relief and eagerly fell in step with him. The helpful bad-boy routine got 'em every time. Spike lightly rest a hand on her back and guided her around a corner, into an alley. He pressed her against the wall, his body flush with hers and leaned close to her ear._

_"Pretty little thing, aren't you?" he murmured, and kissed a line from her ear to her pulse point, the girl moaning as he did._

_Spike grinned inwardly, right before sliding his fangs into her tender flesh. No one heard her soft cry as her life faded away…_

--------------

Spike was staring through her with this hungry look she'd never seen before. Corinne looked behind her, but nothing was there.

"Spike!"

"Huh?" His eyes focused on her again.

"Maybe we shouldn't head out tonight. You're making like a space cadet."

Spike scoffed. "I am not."

"You just did! Please tell me what's wrong?"

"_Nothing_. Now, are you hungry, or should we call it a night?" he snapped, making her flinch at the sudden outburst.

"I'm not so hungry anymore. I think I'll just go home," she said in a rush, standing to leave. Corinne's hand was on the door handle, when she was whipped around and slammed against the wall.

"Did I say you could leave, bitch? That's not the way we play this game," he growled cuttingly, in game face.

She swallowed nervously, trying to stay calm. "Spike, you're scaring me."

He sniffed pointedly against her cheek. "That's the whole point, you see. Gets the fear running through your blood. Makes it nice and tangy." Spike snapped his teeth close to her throat, reveling in the way she tried to cringe away from him. Just like they all did.

'Think fast, Corinne! Your friend is having some kind of episode. How are you going to snap him out of it without getting hurt in the process?!' She did the only thing she could think of that might surprise him, but not make him angry.

Corinne kissed him.

He responded eagerly, a growl of approval rumbling through his chest as one of his fangs drew blood from her lip. His tongue thrust out to lap it up, and at the first taste of human blood, Spike came back to himself. He pushed Corinne away, completely unsettled and only knowing he needed space.

"Spike?" she asked tentatively, taking a step towards him.

"Don't!" he cried desperately, stopping her in her tracks. "Oh, god…I'm so sorry…" Spike sped out the door at vampiric speed, a mere blur to the human girl.

"Spike!" she called from the threshold, but he was already out of sight.

What the hell had happened?

--------------

'A book, book…book. Have to find the clue…'

_Not like you've ever had one of those, William._

"SHUT UP!" he bellowed, gaining odd looks from the humans on the street.

'Keep it together, mate. Don't need them calling the cops before you get to the shop.'

Spike had enough presence of mind to figure out that the demon must have done something to him. He wasn't seeing things right, wasn't hearing things right…this was _not_ his normal state of being. He would find the Glarghk Guhl Kashma'nik listed in some book at The Magic Box…and hopefully not have to beg the Slayer to help him fix this. He wouldn't hurt the people he cared about because of some misplaced delusion. That wasn't what he was about…unless they asked for it, but that was a different thing…and thinking about bondage sex with Drusilla was not going to help right now!

Spike was well and truly buggered.

"Welcome to The Magic Box! Oh, it's just you," Anya said brightly.

"Books on demon species?" he asked, getting right to the point.

She pointed to the right section and went back to tabulating the receipts. The shop was about to close for the night. Spike selected the biggest demon encyclopedia on the shelf and flipped to the 'G's'. Finding his target, the vampire rifled through his pockets for pen and paper and came up empty.

"Demon Girl! You got a pen and paper I could borrow?"

Anya sighed, annoyed that he had interrupted her calculations again, and carried the items to the research table. She peered over his shoulder to see what he was reading.

"The Glarghk Guhl Kashma'nik? They actually have those around here?"

"Apparently. Killed one on the wooded side of town. Do you mind?" he replied, perturbed.

She held up her hands in defense. "Sorry. It _is_ my book, you know, unless you're going to buy it. I was just curious," Anya huffed. The newlywed marched back to the register, muttering under her breath.

Left in peace again, Spike finished writing down what he needed, closed the book, and went in search of potion ingredients. With any luck, no one needed to know that ol' Spike had taken a temporary trip around the bend. He'd cut a stinger off another of those demons and cure himself before the night was up.

"I don't suppose you're going to pay for those?" Anya asked pointedly, as he started to walk out with his baggies of herbs.

Spike rolled his eyes and dug a bill out of his pocket, tossing it on the counter. "That cover it? I'm in a bit of a hurry."

She hurriedly swiped the $20 and nodded. "All set. Have a good evening!" Since he seemed to be in a bad mood, she wasn't going to say that it covered some of his tab, too. The vampire rarely paid for anything, unless she made him.

He snorted and walked out, thinking that was a wish not as easily accomplished as said.

--------------

Spike got as far as his cemetery before another hallucination started to take hold.

_He was in a suit, at a chapel, and looking around, he noticed that it was decorated with lots of flowers and candles._

_"Hurry up, Spike! You're going to be late. You don't want to miss this!" Dawn said excitedly, tugging him further inside by the arm. She pulled him all the way to the front._

_He took his place right in front of the altar, only to be pulled farther back._

_"No, silly! You're supposed to stand right here! See the little 'x'?" She pointed to the ground._

_"Sorry, Niblet. I'm nervous."_

_She smiled and ran off again. The chapel was suddenly filled with guests. The organ started to play, and everyone turned to see the bride walk through the doors._

_"Buffy," Spike said reverently. She was a vision in white lace, smiling softly as she glowed with happiness. He had eyes only for her._

_Spike blinked, and now Buffy was standing at the altar with a broad-shouldered man. Angel turned back to Spike and smiled coldly._

_"You didn't think it'd be you, did you? I'm human! I can give her everything she needs now."_

_Bodies suddenly crowded in on Spike, giving him nowhere to go._

_"You don't belong here! You don't belong! Don't belong!" they chanted._

_"Please," he pleaded on a whisper, curling in a ball as the voices became as loud as a rushing waterfall.  
_

_-------------_

_  
"Wicked, unclean, vile, evil, just a thing, monster, no good, unloved, undeserving…" Buffy chanted._

_"Spilled the milk, spilled the ink, pulled the little girl's hair…" Drusilla chimed._

_"Unworthy, pathetic, a distant second, should have been dusted long ago…" Angelus added in._

_"You murdered me! Couldn't let me die in peace! Couldn't leave me alone! Spewing that useless drivel you called poetry. Made my ears bleed! All so you could stay close to Mummy. I wanted to **beg** you to find a woman!"_

_No, no, no, no, no…NO! Aren't really here, can't hurt, can't kill, can't maim. Push them away, make them stop, make them GO AWAY!!!_

And suddenly, it was quiet. Spike hesitantly opened his eyes to find himself stretched out on the lawn of a cute little house. In sunlight.

_"Honey?"_

_"Yes, luv?" he answered._

_Corinne came down the steps, holding a brown haired little girl of two or three. "The barbeque is on the fritz again. I can't get it to light."_

_He kissed the woman and ruffled the little girl's hair. "Just use the lighter like I showed you, silly bint," he teased. They walked through the house to the backyard. He fiddled with the grill and got the flame started right away. "See? Easy."_

_"I guess." She grinned impishly. "I just like making you feel useful." Corinne placed the little girl in a playpen on the porch and went inside to grab the meat to cook._

_"Hey, princess," Spike cooed, kneeling in front of his daughter. "Were you a good girl today?" She smiled at her daddy, looking up with adoring blue eyes._

_"So your mother said. Do you think we're taking advantage of her? It can be pretty tiring chasing after an active three-year-old," his wife replied. Spike took the steaks from her and moved them onto the hot grill._

_"Who would watch her? I don't know if she's old enough for daycare…" he mused, frowning a little. Not just anyone was good enough for his little Dawn._

--------------

Corinne woke up with a start on Spike's couch. "Spike?" Her voice seemed to echo in the empty crypt. 'Not here. What time is it?' "An hour to sunrise! Shit!" She grabbed her purse and ran out of the crypt, scanning the cemetery. She started searching everywhere, looking down every row and behind every tomb to see if he'd collapsed somewhere, too hurt to make it home.

"Please be okay, Spike!"

--------------

_Dawn had been put to bed and Spike and his wife were cuddled together on the couch watching a movie. He bent his head to nibble on her neck, starting at the joining point with her shoulder._

_"That's how Dawn happened," she moaned, leaning her head to give him greater access. She shivered, the sensation of his teeth scraping against her skin going straight to her core._

_"And a beautiful result that was," he murmured. "Would another be so bad?"_

_"Mmm…no? We'd need a bigger place, though…oh, Spike…"_

_"I love how you say my name, pet. You give me so much," he said passionately, before they kissed. When they parted for breath, he said, "You give me home."  
_

_-------------_

_  
"Good morning, class," Professor William greeted his students. "If you'd please open your books to Chapter 3, we'll begin an examination of Wordsworth's poetry…"_

_"Mr. Atherton? I have a question about yesterday's assignment…"_

_Spike leaned against his desk and started answering questions. Freshman weren't always the most dedicated students, but they had open minds. When Corinne had encouraged him to get his Masters' so he could teach, he'd been skeptical at first. Writing had always been his first love. But then, his mother had chimed in, too, and five years later, here he was, teaching at a college and loving every minute of it._

_And the schedule gave him plenty of time to be home, too. He wouldn't be anything without his little family._

-------------

"Spike! Where are you?" After searching for twenty minutes, Corinne had started calling his name, her safety taking a backseat to finding him before the sun could dust him. "Spike!"

She came around towards the front gate, and noticed a black lump on the grass.

"Oh, thank God!" She ran to him and fell to her knees beside him, pulling him onto his back. There didn't seem to be any injuries, but he was unconscious. "Spike? Wake up! Come on, now…" Corinne thumped lightly on his chest in frustration. "Come on, you stupid vampire! I can't drag your heavy ass all the way back to your crypt!"

"Stop pounding," he groaned.

"Oh, you're alright!" she sighed in relief. "Can you walk?"

"Mmmfph." Well, it was a start.

She got him to his feet, and he seemed to walk with her on autopilot. Whatever, as long as it got him indoors and safe, she was happy. The self-propelled sleepwalking vampire even made it down to the lower level and started stripping for bed. Corinne turned on her heel and covered her eyes as soon as she caught a glimpse of bare hip. Once a few minutes had passed and he _had_ to be in bed by now, she turned back around. Spike was under the covers and asleep, breathing slowly, his eyes moving rapidly under his lids.

Sighing, she pulled the covers up further and brushed his hair off his forehead. "What am I going to do with you?" she asked rhetorically. Corinne brushed her lips on his forehead in a whisper-touch. "Sweet dreams, my friend."

She picked up his clothes and draped them over a chair, then paused, wondering if his pockets would provide a clue to what was going on. Justifying the invasion of his privacy with her concern for his health, she dug around to see what she could find. _Lighter, cigarettes, cash, a couple mints, a ha! A slip of paper._ She unfolded the notebook sheet and scanned the contents. _A demon that can cause hallucinations? And I thought viruses were a problem…_ Okay, so he had the antidote…except that another demon was needed. Groovy.

"I hope you appreciate this," she muttered to Spike, before leaving.

-------------

Once it was a reasonable hour, and she had changed clothes, Corinne went in search of the only person who could help Spike. She wasn't looking forward to the meeting.

It was a Saturday, so a fresh-faced Dawn answered the door. "Hey, I remember you! Spike's doctor friend…is something wrong with him?" The teen's tone turned to worry as it occurred to her why the doctor would come to her home.

"Um, is your sister around? I kind of need to talk to her…about her night job?"

"Slayer stuff? Yeah, she's here, somewhere. BUFFY! COMPANY!"

Corinne covered her ears as soon as the teen bellowed. Ow!

"Dawn, how many times do I have to ask you…oh. What are you doing here?" Buffy asked, surprise superceding her manners.

"Spike needs your help."

The Slayer crossed her arms over her chest, copping a defensive stance. "Really. And why should that concern me?"

"Buffy!" Dawn chided.

"Look, I understand you guys have a lot of…history, but this is a Slayer problem, okay? May I show you his notes?" Corinne asked, holding up the sheet of paper.

"Fine. Dawn, find something else to do." Order given, Buffy moved into the kitchen, expecting Corinne to follow.

Corinne smiled sympathetically at the teen, then followed the Slayer.

"Talk and make it quick."

The doctor spread the sheet of paper on the counter. "He's been poisoned by a demon. They use the venom to defend themselves, or on prey, and since he's a vampire…"

"They don't want to eat him."

"Right, so he's not in danger of it coming after him, since he killed it, but the poison is still doing its job. I barely got him inside the crypt this morning before sunrise."

"Why are you helping him? You're human," the Slayer asked bluntly.

Corinne turned patient eyes on the blonde. "Because he's my friend, and a good one, at that. It's not like I'm looking to immerse myself in the world of demons, but I can let a chipped vampire into my life. Besides, he has few others, and I hate to see anyone forced to be alone."

"Sounds good on paper, but he doesn't have a soul. Spike can't understand why morality is so important to us. He doesn't even feel bad about the people he's killed!"

"Look, I value human life as much as the next girl, because, hey – doctor, here – but I don't blame someone for following what they were taught, or their nature. We can't change the past, and the point is that he's doing things differently now. Spike's not stupid. He knows it would hurt the people he cares about if he hurt innocent people. The world isn't black and white. It never has been. Now, are you going to let me finish telling you about the demon?"

Buffy nodded and waved her hand for the woman to continue. She couldn't read Spike's script, anyway. It was so…old-fashioned.

"Okay. We need the stinger from the demon, while it's alive, to make the antidote. It's very important that you don't get stung, yourself. His notes say that the demon's venom causes hallucinations so severe that the victim is paralyzed and easy prey. They're literally trapped in their own mind, seeing God knows what."

"Okay, so where do I find it?"

"Woodland areas, most likely at night. There's a description here." Corinne passed the paper to Buffy

"'Ugly bald bugger who's wearing a cape.' Well, that could be anybody! Geesh, he could at least say what color it is!"

"Well, it has a switchblade-like stinger on its hand, so you should be able to tell from that. And remember, it needs to be alive for the antidote to work, so just break off the stinger and run."

"Hey, I'm the Slayer, here! I know how to plan attacks," Buffy spat.

Corinne held up her hands. "No offense intended. Just letting you know what's needed for the potion."

Buffy adopted that defiant look again. "I still haven't said if I'll do it."

The doctor rolled her eyes. "Do you need me to pay you? Would that be enough incentive?" Corinne could see why Spike had problems with the little bitch.

"I don't do my calling to get paid!" the blonde snapped. "Alright…but Spike owes me big time."

"Whatever. Just try to get it done as fast as possible. He's suffering…and he seemed to have some strange notion that you would care," she sternly replied. Corinne let herself out.

"Geeze, what crawled up your ass, Buffy?! You didn't have to be so rude!" Dawn exclaimed, coming out from her hiding place around the corner.

"I don't want to talk about it. I'm going out," the Slayer shortly replied.

Dawn was soon left in the house alone, wondering why the monks had chosen her sister to be her sister.

--------------

That evening, Buffy kicked the crypt door open, as had been her habit.

"What is wrong with you?!" Corinne hissed. "Can't you have some respect for the ill?"

"Here," the Slayer stated, thrusting the stinger wrapped in a cloth at the woman. The doctor took it, scowling.

Buffy turned to leave.

"You're not even going to look in on him?"

The blonde just kept going and slammed the door on her way out.

Corinne sighed, then went about preparing the antidote per Spike's written instructions. Portable Bunsen burners came in handy.

------------

_"Sweetie, go to work. I'll be fine," Corinne insisted._

_"Are you sure? You're sick…and Dawn…"_

_"I have a cold, not pneumonia. I can watch our daughter just fine. Besides, it's been a while since it was just us girls for the day." She straightened his collar and kissed him on the cheek. "Now go. Those kids need you."_

_"Alright, I get the hint," he teased, pulling her close and giving her a short, but intense kiss. "Something to remember me by," he added cockily._

_"As if I could ever forget you. Now, go! You're going to be late!"_

_He laughed and stuck his tongue out at her as she shoved him out the door. "You'll miss me!" Spike called from the driveway. He waved from the black Desoto, then took off down the street._

_Corinne sighed happily, then closed the door and went to attend to their curious daughter._

--------------

"Welcome back, handsome," Corinne said softly, as the last hallucination seemed to clear.

She'd given him the antidote when he asked for coffee. It had been the perfect opportunity.

"Ohhhh," he groaned. "God, I've got a bloody migraine."

"You haven't eaten in about 24 hours, and that antidote did mention possible side effects. How are you?"

"A bit…jumbled. Remind me never to take that acid trip again," he replied, grimacing. "How did you get the stinger?"

"I asked for some help. Her manners left something to be desired, but the job was done. Don't scare me like that again, okay?" Corinne said seriously.

Spike's head tilted, his gaze discerning. "I won't," he promised, just as seriously. "I remember…I hurt you…" he added, tracing his thumb along her bottom lip. His sharp eyes could tell where the cut was, underneath her lipstick.

She lowered his hand to the bedspread, leaving hers on top. "Barely. I was more worried, than anything. You did this sudden personality switch, and I wasn't sure what would make you come back."

"Last thing I remember, that was real…I'd just walked into the cemetery, coming home…" His brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of his recent memories.

"I found you there, unconscious."

"Right…have you been here this whole time…when was that?"

"Early this morning, and yeah, pretty much. I'm going to get you some blood, and then you should sleep." Corinne rose to go up to the top level. His voice stopped her at the ladder.

"Doc…look, I know I'm not exactly blue ribbon material…but, thanks," he said quietly.

She knew he wasn't used to thanking anyone, so she just nodded, and said, "You're welcome, Spike."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Corinne came back right after work, even though she was pretty tired. She walked in just as Spike was eating 'breakfast'.

"Hey, luv," he greeted with a smile. "Come to check on the mental patient?"

"Something like that," she replied, returning the grin. "So, the antidote worked? No more hallucinations?"

"None whatsoever. I'm as sane as I ever was." He tossed back the last gulp and rinsed out the mug with water from a bottle.

"That's not saying much," she teased. "Are you patrolling tonight?"

Spike shook his head as he sat down in his favorite chair. "Nah. Think I'll have a night in. Don't feel much up for crowds."

"Fair enough. I imagine what you went through wasn't entirely pleasant?" she gently probed.

He shrugged. "Some bad memories and such. Nothin' worth sharin'. I'll be right back." Spike got up and dropped down to his bedroom level.

Corinne stayed put. She stayed out of his private space unless it was necessary.

_Knock, knock._

"Could you get that, Doc? Clem's bringing pizza," Spike bellowed up the hole in the floor.

She got up and opened the door; only it wasn't whom they were expecting. "Uh, Spike? It's not Clem…"

"Oh, for the love of…" he muttered, climbing the ladder. Spike stopped short upon sight of the person standing in the doorway. "Slayer?"

"I, um, wanted to see if you were uncrazified." She looked at Corinne. "Does she live here now or something?" Buffy said in typical bitchy fashion.

"No." "None of your business." They answered in unison. The Slayer crossed her arms over her chest and gave him that look that said she wanted answers.

"What do you want, Buffy?" Spike finally sighed.

"I told you. I went to a lot of trouble getting that stinger last night, and I wanted to see if you were back to yourself. I see I shouldn't have bothered," she replied, turning to go.

"Buffy, wait!" Spike crossed the room in a blink to grab her arm and stop her. She turned back towards him, annoyed. "I appreciate you coming by. How's the Niblet? Gotten into anymore trouble lately?" Affection and concern were still apparent in his blue eyes.

She sighed an audible breath and relaxed. "She's fine. So are you, obviously. I…have patrol, so…" Buffy fidgeted, uncomfortable around him with company.

Spike immediately sensed that some things never change. "Right. Well, see you around…" He stepped back out of her space.

"Yep," Buffy agreed, a bit too peppily. "Uh, bye!" The Slayer darted off in a blur.

"Are you two always that awkward?" Corinne asked, as he shut the door.

"Except…well…yeah…ever since she came back…" Spike's eyes were haunted again with things she didn't know.

"It's also like it's only the two of you in the room," she observed.

He shrugged. "Just chemistry, Doc. She likes what I can do to her, but she'll never let me in. Never trust me enough. Against a Slayer's nature."

"But, she's known you for years, right? How can she not see that you're more than your average vampire?" Corinne persisted in asking, genuinely confused.

His face took on the look of experience belying his true years as Spike stepped up to the doctor, eyes scanning her expression. He lifted a hand to brush a stray lock of auburn hair behind her ear, sighing wistfully. "You truly are still innocent," he murmured to himself. "You judge each encounter as it comes, each person on their own merits…don't you?"

Mesmerized, she whispered. "It's…it's only fair…"

"Can you imagine what I've done to women just like you? Girls Dawn's age? And I don't regret it…not really. Can't take any of it back. I like being a vampire. Even my bastard of a grandsire with that bloody cursed soul likes being a vampire. You know why, Doc?"

She shook her head 'no'.

"Power. Becoming what we are elevated us beyond the useless excuses for human beings we used to be. The demon has just three requirements – food, fighting, and fucking. Could give arse all for anything else. That's why the Slayer will always see me as a monster. I'll always _be_ a monster, 'til I'm dust."

Corinne faced him bravely, recognizing this was some sort of challenge he was making right now, even if he wasn't aware of it. "You're not just a monster, Spike. You couldn't be my friend, if that's all you are. Wouldn't love Dawn like a sister, and don't tell me you don't, because I _have_ a little sister. I know what that looks like. And you wouldn't have stayed here, not harming a single human, if you were a monster. That chip in your head doesn't stop you from setting fire to the town, or blowing things up, or finding some mojo to wipe us all out. You're a vampire, but you're also a gentleman."

He barked a laugh. "Haven't been called that in a very long time, Doc. You're really that convinced of my virtue? You've only known me for 2 months, and you're not with me all the time…" Spike insinuated.

"Oh, stop it! You're not driving me away," she replied stubbornly.

"Why not! I'm going to mess up soon enough, pet. I don't have a moral compass. Sooner or later, I'm going to screw up and do something to disgust you, that _should_ disgust you, and you'll come to your senses. Humans and vampires aren't meant to 'hang out' together. You're meant to be _food_!" he shouted.

Corinne stepped up into his space again. "Have you wanted to taste me, then? Has your mouth watered at the thought of my blood? You've had me alone here dozens of times, Spike. You could easily kill me before I could blink, with just one little headache before you enjoyed all this warm, pulsing blood. Has that been what you've _really_ thought about?"

Spike gestured wildly, more than upset. "_No!_ And that's what's so wrong about it! What kind of demon am I when I don't want to kill to eat? _Nothing_ – is what that makes me. For 120 years, I _knew_ my place, I _had_ a reputation. What does this make me now? Am I still 'Spike, Slayer of Slayers'? Can't be a man, can't be a monster…where does that leave me?" He was breaking up before her eyes, and Corinne didn't know what the catalyst was, but she was going to find out.

She approached the sobbing vampire where he sat on a sarcophagus and slowly wrapped her arms around him. Spike buried his face in her neck and held on tight. Almost too tightly, but she wasn't going to complain while he obviously needed to release this. Corinne stroked his hair, his back, his shoulders, murmuring comforting sounds.

"It's okay. We'll figure it out," she whispered. He didn't answer, but the sobs were starting to lessen, as he breathed in her scent over and over. The air movement tickled her skin. "Want to tell me what brought this all up all at once?" she asked, just as gently.

"The hallucinations…from the demon…they aren't random. It's not like some psychedelic acid trip…" he muttered finally, not lifting his head yet. "They're personal. The venom…isn't just disorienting…it dredges up deep things…dark things…traps you in your own mind…either with your worst bloody nightmares, or…denial of reality…"

"And yours…?"

"Lots of history to draw from, obviously…" Spike drew back, trying to regain some composure and put up his usual 'mask of badness'. "Details are unimportant. I'm just getting my equilibrium back…Sorry."

Corinne drew his eyes back to hers with a gentle touch. "Hey, don't shut me out now. You're my friend. I care, okay? You're hurting and I want to help."

"Don't. I'm not worthy of it," the vampire snapped.

"Spike…"

"Please drop it, Corinne. I'm sorry I said anything." He pushed her away just as Clem came in with the pizza and beer. Swinging his legs around, Spike hopped off the sarcophagus and grabbed the alcohol. "Hey, mate! About time you showed up. Game's on in five." He popped the bottle cap off with his teeth and swallowed most of the beer in one pass.

"Sorry. It's busy tonight. Everybody was ordering out for March Madness basketball. Hey, Corinne! I didn't know you were joining us," Clem said.

One glance to Spike, who was now ignoring her in favor of the television, and she replied, "I'm not. I just stopped by on my way home. Nice seeing you, Clem." Corinne picked up her purse and left, firmly shutting the door in her wake. Spike flinched at the 'almost' slam.

"Fighting with another human female, Spike? I tell ya, you need to start broadening your horizons to other species…"

"_Clem_. Shut the hell up and watch the game, or leave. I'm not in the mood for a bleedin' lecture."

"Okay, okay…" Shaking his head, the demon grabbed two slices of pizza and turned his attention to the television.

--------------

A week later, and Corinne was still avoiding him. Dawn had started a part-time after school job, too, so she wasn't around anymore, either. Clem was spending more and more time with Elsa, a potential mate. And of course, Buffy never came over. Add it all up, and Spike was a lonely vampire. And bored. He'd stick around the crypt until it was too late for visitors, then go out patrolling. There were areas of town the Slayer didn't frequent much, so he stuck to those, rescuing hookers from smelly vamps and ridding the sewers of foul-planned demons. It made him feel useful, even though no one was handing out thanks.

Not much escaped the attention of Sunnydale's demons, so when Spike heard rumors a month later concerning the Slayer; he decided to check it out. First stop: find the Slayer and warn her about it. He checked The Magic Box first, but Demon Girl and her hubby were the only ones there. 'Revello Drive, it is, then.'

He knocked, knowing it had been too long since he could comfortable walk right in like he owned the place. Dawn answered the door.

"Hey, Spike. Sorry I haven't been by in a while. What's up?"

"Got some news to discuss with your sister. Is she in?"

"BUFFY!"

"Dawn…oh. Hi." She looked better, less haunted, maybe even eating better.

"Hey. Heard some rumors you might want to be aware of…" he replied.

She nodded, and directed him towards the kitchen. He followed, after mussing Dawn's hair.

"So, what's up?" Buffy asked, all Slayer-business-like.

"That trio of geeks you've had trouble with? Word's out that they have cameras all over town, watching your activities. It's just lame enough for those ponces to try, so I thought you should know."

"Thanks. So…it's, uh, been a while. How've you been?" she asked, hiding behind her lashes.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Same ol' unlife. Cleared out a nest of howlers last week."

She smiled. "I figured that was you. Spike?"

"Hmm, luv?"

Buffy took a breath of courage and stated her admission. "I…I've kinda missed you. Could we…um…like, get some coffee, or something…sometime? Only if you want, cuz you don't have to, if you don't want to be around me, I mean, I don't always want to be around me, so…"

He stopped her babbling with a finger on her lips. "Buffy…I'd love to."

"Really?" she blurted out, before remembering herself and schooling her features. "I mean, cool…I'll let you know after I get my work schedule?"

"That'll be fine, kitten. Well, I don't want to interrupt sister bonding time, so…" he gestured towards the door.

She nodded, not wanting to take the chance of screwing up the moment, either. "Okay. See you around, then."

"Right. Goodnight, Buffy." Spike took in her image, then headed for the door. "'Night, Niblet! Be good!"

"Yeah, yeah…"

Spike walked home, whistling a happy tune with a spring in his step, feeling hopeful for the first time in his unlife in months. Inside the house, Buffy was leaning against the door with an identical smile, finally feeling like she'd made the right choice for the first time in months.

-------------

A few days later, Spike found a card slipped under his door.

_Spike,  
Meet me at the Espresso Pump around 8pm?  
Buffy_

He grinned, lifted the card to his nose to catch any lingering trace of her scent, then tucked it in his back pocket. 'Don't get your hopes too high, mate. She's probably just looking for a friendly chat,' he reminded himself. Still, Spike couldn't help but be overjoyed that his Slayer had asked _him_ out for coffee. That she _missed_ his company. He peeked out a window and judged the time by the light. Blast! It was only 5 o'clock. How was he going to last trapped inside for three hours?

-------------

Buffy dropped off the note at Spike's crypt, then ran home to shower and primp for her 'meeting'. Seeing she had hours, still, she turned on the bath, instead, and soaked in fragrant bubbles of vanilla and spice. She wasn't taking any chances of still having that DMP smell! Buffy left her hair down, like he liked it, applied her make-up, then started looking for the perfect outfit.

"Getting ready for a date?" her sister asked, standing in the bedroom doorway.

"Why would you say that?" Buffy replied innocently.

"Your legs are shaved and you smell good. Kinda obvious. So?"

Buffy sighed, giving up. "It's just coffee, and chatting. Friendly chatting."

"Uh-huh. And would this 'friendly chatting' be with a certain vampire?" Dawn prodded.

"Maybe…"

"Ooo! I knew it! What are you gonna wear?"

"That's what I was _trying_ to figure out before you interrupted. I want something that says 'I like you, but I'm not going home with you tonight.'"

"Are you finally admitting that you like-like Spike? Can I help?" the teen asked eagerly.

"Maybe, and yes."

"How about just a tank top and jeans? It's still warm out there, but not too hot, so you can get away with covering up a little," Dawn advised.

Buffy crossed over to her bureau and pulled a red tank out of a drawer. "This one?"

Her sister grinned knowingly. "Good choice. The dark blue jeans, too…no, not the super low-cut ones!"

"But they make my butt look good," the Slayer pouted.

"Yeah, and that's gonna blow your "I don't want to get laid tonight' impression right out of the water."

"Okay, fine, Miss Know-It-All. Help me find the other ones in this mess."

They dug around in the pile on Buffy's bed until they found the right jeans. While Buffy was getting dressed ("Make sure you wear a bra!" Dawn had bellowed.), Dawn found her sister's sneakers and a pair of clean socks.

"Here." She thrust them into her sister's hands once Buffy came out of the bathroom.

"Sneakers?"

"Yup. It's Spike. He notices details. Sneakers say you're just going to be casual about this, and are possibly up for a stroll. Trust me."

"Okaaaay…God, I'm nervous. I don't want to screw this up, Dawnie. We almost got the friends thing going once, and then I messed it all up…and there's a lot he should still be mad at me for," the Slayer confessed.

"Spike doesn't hold grudges, Buffy…well, not against people he loves. It'll be fine, you'll see. Just try being nice and honest, and not bitchy."

"Hey!"

"Well, it had to be said!"

"Yeah, yeah…you want Chinese before I go?"

"Okay."

-------------

Spike set out in the sewers at 20 'til, not that he needed that much time to travel. He just couldn't stand to wait in the crypt anymore pacing the room. To say he was nervous would be an understatement! He'd never forgive himself if he really screwed this up somehow. Buffy was giving their friendship a second chance, or at least it looked that way, and that had to mean she cared…right? She risked being seen with him by her friends in such a public place. He arrived with ten minutes to spare and ordered himself a hot chocolate and a scone, then picked a table in a corner, and waited.

She walked in at 8 o'clock, on the dot, looking adorable. Her hair was brushing her shoulders in slight waves, lips were glossed a soft rose, and she smelled heavenly. Buffy smiled when she spotted him and walked towards the table. Spike stood and pulled out her chair for her, to which she looked surprised and pleased. He signaled the girl roaming about for help, and Buffy had a frappaccino a minute later. She toyed with the straw, unsure how to start.

"How was work today?" Spike asked to break the silence.

"The usual. Dawn says that a lot of the stores will be hiring once the college kids leave in a couple weeks, so I'm going to put out applications at the mall. I'd much rather get a Gap discount than smell like fried pretend meat," she replied, grateful he had spoken first.

"Sounds good. Pay has to be better, right?"

"Couldn't be worse," she joked. 'This isn't too bad,' she mused.

"What else has been going on for you?"

"Well, we searched all around the house and found cameras all over outside. Anya found some at The Magic Box, too, which really peeved her. Apparently, she and Xander have had, um…anyway, she said that if they were going to watch, then she should get paid accordingly." Buffy blushed as she relayed the story, which still amazed him, knowing the things they had done. "They even had cameras pointed at our bedrooms! Thank God we have curtains, but still! Eww!" She visibly shuddered, and he chuckled.

"I'm sure it's only a matter of time until you find them, luv. Have Red pull some of her computer mojo."

"She's working on it. She and Tara seem to be doing better still. And I got Willow to start paying rent again, so we're not losing the house…yet. I'm still thinking about selling it. Maybe this summer, you know, when demon activity is light?"

"Are you okay with that? Selling your mum's house?"

"I waver back and forth," she replied, stirring her coffee. "On the one hand, she's still all over that house, you know? Everywhere we look has Mom's touch. But, on the other, we really can't afford to keep it. Not without a renter and any money leftover. I'm still catching up on back debts, but thankfully, the bank believed my illness story and worked something out for us. So, that was a relief. It's still hard…some days…doing all these necessary tasks. I try not to have too much time to think…" Buffy added. This was why she had started confiding in Spike in the first place. It was easier to tell him stuff because he didn't try to jump in with fixes and band-aids.

"I would have helped, you know…if things were really bad," he admitted quietly, looking down at his empty cup. Spike held his breath, unsure how she would take his comment.

"I know," Buffy said softly. "It's hard for me to accept help…even from Giles. I don't like needing it, you know? Admitting I'm failing…"

"It's not failure just because something is bigger than you, Buffy," Spike cut in adamantly. She looked up in surprise. "I don't know who originally got it in your head that you have to succeed at everything alone, but it's a bloody fallacy, pet. You could have all the power and money in the world, and still not have all the answers. You're just one girl, Slayer, and not even a big one, at that!"

"I…thanks, I guess. I get why Slayers were just supposed to focus on the mission, live outside of the world. Even if I was just me, I'd have a hard time picking up the pieces after Mom died. I wonder sometimes, if I'd been identified like I was supposed to, what my life would have been like…if Dawn would still have been sent to me, if Mom and Dad would have stayed together, if other people wouldn't have died…" Buffy shook off the depressing turn her thoughts were taking and changed the subject. "What about you? What's new?"

Spike swallowed nervously. "Well, there's the Doc…you've already met her. Uh, Clem…he's a poker chum…comes over often. Um, I finally caught the rat that kept snacking on my Weetabix…"

"Your friend, she's a doctor, right?"

"Yeah…"

"How on earth did you meet? I mean, no offense, but…you don't exactly need medical services…" she asked suspiciously.

"That's not entirely true, pet, when someone decides to beat my face in," he snapped, though his volume was still low enough not to attract attention from the surrounding customers.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Buffy had the grace to look ashamed. "You-you managed to get home, though…" she whispered, not looking at him.

"I did, with a ride from a good Samaritan who took pity on a broken vampire. I couldn't see out of one eye for days, Slayer, not to mention the _several_ broken ribs that made moving not very comfortable at all," he replied bitterly.

She nodded. "I'm sorry. It's the truth, Spike."

He softened, taking in her bowed head, slumped shoulders, and the smell of unshed tears. "I believe you, pet, but know this: I won't be your punching bag again. I have no problem sparring with you, but I will _not_ take a beating just because you don't like what I have to say. Angelus did enough of that when I was a fledge. Loving you doesn't mean the rule's changed."

"I won't! Looking back, I can't even believe that was me…I…I know Tara says I didn't come back wrong, but why would I be so different after…after being pulled out? I never would have attacked you like that before…I'm sorry, Spike. All I've done since Willow ripped me out of heaven is cause damage to everything around me…everyone," she quietly sobbed.

He hadn't meant to make her cry…never could stand her tears. Spike slid his chair closer and wrapped an arm around her slim shoulders. "Now, now, luv…please don't cry. What matters is what you're doing now, eh? Dawn's seen you change…"

"Really? We're getting along better, but…" she said doubtfully.

"Really. Scout's honor."

"You were never a Boy Scout, Spike," she retorted, leaning on his shoulder.

"True enough, but the Bit talks…a lot…and she sees that you're trying. That's all she ever wanted you to do, Slayer. You never had to be the perfect mum."

"I'm starting to figure that out," she said, sniffling. Spike pulled some napkins out of the dispenser and handed them to her. "I'm kind of amazed you still want to talk to me."

"Well, you can be a right bitch, but you're still my Slayer. And I love you," he replied honestly.

"I bet there are times you wished you didn't."

"A few. But that's normal, right? I'm sure you've wished it of your mother or Dawn a time or two," Spike teased, trying to lighten the mood.

She grinned a little. "Yeah, a couple." Buffy straightened up, now that she had composed herself. Spike scooted his chair part of the way back to its original spot. "We're good now, though?" she asked hopefully.

"I've had worse company," he said with a smirk. She scowled playfully and slapped him on the shoulder.

"Jerk."

"Careful, Slayer, you're slipping. One such as me might find that close to being a compliment," he teased.

She laughed, surprising him, and Spike set out to make her laugh over and over again. They ended up on a game of "guess who the people are" until the coffee bar announced it was closing.

"Oh, my gosh – it's 10 o'clock already?!" Buffy exclaimed.

"Time flies when you're having fun?" he suggested.

"Yeah, it does. I should head home. Dawn's all by herself tonight."

"Alright. It was good seeing you again, luv. Maybe we'll have to do this again sometime…"

"We will," she affirmed, as they walked out.

They walked at a casual pace, enjoying each other's company and not talking much. When it came time for Spike to veer off towards home, he was loath to leave her presence. Buffy had given him the greatest gift by just being herself around him tonight. If he died tomorrow, it would be his fondest memory to take into the afterlife.

"Well, this is my stop…" he stated.

She looked up to see that he was right, and Restfield was off that other way. Buffy considered him for a moment, then tucked her tiny hand under his arm.

"Walk me home?" she requested.

Spike's face broke into a big grin. "I'd be delighted."

And he truly was, when she kissed him on the cheek before darting into 1630.

--------------

Buffy got up for work and Dawn was up for school. They both stopped, surprised, in the doorway to the kitchen, Buffy bumping into the back of her little sister.

"Hey, guys," Tara greeted them shyly. "You want pancakes?"

Dawn immediately grinned. "Sure!" She plopped onto a bar stool at the kitchen island.

Buffy was slower to come in, trying to hide her smirk at seeing Tara in Willow's bathrobe. "I take it you had a good date?" she asked innocently.

Tara grinned wickedly at the Slayer, before dropping her gaze to the pancakes again. She might be the quiet sort, but Tara didn't blush easily. "It was alright," she said happily.

Dawn squealed, unable to contain her excitement. "You guys are back together? That's so cool!"

Buffy got out the syrup and butter and set them on the counter, then poured milk for Dawn and orange juice for herself.

"How was _your_ night, Buffy?" the Wicca asked. Buffy froze like a deer caught in headlights.

"It was good…I didn't stay out late since I have the early shift," she replied, her voice sounding odd.

"She had a coffee date with Spike," Dawn announced.

"Dawn!"

"It's alright, Buffy. I saw you two walk up out the window last night. It was nice to see you not fighting," Tara said pointedly.

The Slayer cleared her throat. "It was, um, nice not to fight," she croaked. She gulped down some juice. "And it was just coffee…"

"With _Spike_. Come on, Buffy! It's not like we don't know you guys have something. So, what'd you talk about?" Dawn persisted.

"_Stuff_," her sister answered with a glare. Dawn pouted.

"Well, I think it's good you can be friends. Spike obviously cares, and he could have left last summer, but he didn't. He's a good choice to have on your side, Buffy," Tara declared, placing the first stack of pancakes on the island. Buffy smiled gratefully for the support.

"Now, if she could just admit she's in love with him," Dawn added between bites.

Buffy choked on her first bite of pancake and sputtered, Tara coming around to pat her on the back. They both looked at Dawn.

"What?" she responded, oblivious.

------------

Willow had traced the camera feeds to the Trio's lair by the time Buffy got back from work. She took the address and went out as soon as she'd changed clothes. The Slayer knocked on the front door.

"Is Warren here?" she asked the woman that answered.

"I'm not sure. I haven't seen him today. You could try the basement," his mother replied. "It's good to see he has a female friend!" she added, before shutting the door.

Buffy's face twisted in disgust at the thought as she moved around the house to the basement door. She kicked it in and stomped down the stairs, hoping to scare them. "Oh, Warren? Jonathan?" Getting to the bottom, she discovered it was empty and pouted. "Well, an empty lair means paper stealing for Buffy."

She stepped into the center of the room, though, there was a buzzing noise, and giant saw blades came spinning at her. The Slayer ducked under one blade, then dove between two others, grabbed a stack of papers at random, and ran out before the entire basement was destroyed. "Crap! It nicked my leather jacket! Those nerds are gonna pay!"

Buffy came in the house and dumped the stack on the kitchen counter.

"Any luck?" Willow asked.

She shrugged. "I grabbed what I could before I was sliced-and-diced Slayer."

"Booby trap," Willow said to Tara.

"Yup," Buffy added. "I hope you can make heads or tails of that stuff. It was all pretty much over my head. I'm gonna go take a shower and wash the DMP off."

Tara and Willow resumed their cuddling and kissing, before taking the info upstairs to work on later.

-------------

The witches had found a data CD amongst the stuff Buffy grabbed. Willow found blueprints and schematics for armored cars, and a schedule for pick-ups and deliveries.

"Buffy?" she called.

"What have ya got, Wills?"

"They're going to rob an armored truck tonight, actually several nights. The routes and schedules for the whole month are on that disc."

"Well, all I need is a location, and this ends tonight. I've had more than enough of their annoying intrusions on my life," the Slayer declared.

That evening, Buffy set out to intercept the Trio at their chosen point to hold up the truck. She'd thought about asking Spike along, but he couldn't do anything against humans, so he'd probably just end up frustrated. They'd celebrate the nerds' capture later at The Bronze. Buffy found the truck overturned and the Trio taking bags out of the back.

"Gee, am I interrupting?" she quipped, before moving in on Warren. The other two backed off to stand under an overhang.

"Actually, I was hoping you'd show up," Warren sneered.

"Good, then the feeling's mutual," she retorted, right before punching him in the jaw. Buffy stood slack-jawed as he just turned his head back to her and grinned. 'Not possible,' she thought, and delivered a spin kick.

Warren went flying, but popped right back up and delivered his own punch, making the Slayer back step as he followed blow after blow with another.

"You show her, fearless leader!" Andrew cheered.

"Shut up, you moron!" Jonathan snapped. Seeing the Slayer toss Warren away again, he jumped on her back, pretending to attack and whispered, "The Orbs of Nezzla'khan! Smash the pouch on his belt!"

Buffy shrugged him off without hurting him and went after Warren again. He hit her right between the eyes, dazing the Slayer.

"How's it feel to not be the strongest fighter, Slayer? No little girl will _ever_ best me!"

He punched her hard in the gut, knocking her to the ground and loomed over her.

"Say goodnight, Slayer!"

"Not so fast," Buffy growled, ripping the pouch from his belt and smashing the orbs on the pavement.

"NOOOOO! You bitch!" Warren screamed. "This isn't over, Slayer!" Tossing off his jacket, he triggered his jet-pack and flew off. Buffy looked up in disbelief, before turning to the other two.

"Warren, wait for me!" Andrew cried, shrugging off his own jacket.

"You were just going to leave me with this? Where's my jet-pack?" Jonathan asked disgustedly. Betrayal tasted bitter, that's for sure.

"Losers don't get one," Andrew said haughtily, and pressed the button to activate the rocket, only to fly head first into the overhead awning and knock himself out.

Jonathan held his hands up in the air as the police arrived.

Buffy did her best 'blonde happening to walk by a robbery' impression for the police, then pulled a quick patrol before heading home. She massaged her sore back as she climbed the porch steps.

"Rough night?" Spike asked, stubbing out his cigarette.

"Yes and no. 2 of the Trio are in jail. Warren escaped, with a jet-pack, no less. I wrenched my back getting knocked into a tombstone on patrol afterwards." She unlocked the door and held it open for him.

Spike gestured she should go first, then closed the door behind them. "I could work on that, if you like." He held up his hands in innocence. "No ulterior motives. You just look like you're in pain."

She looked at him, considering, before she replied. "I'm going to take a bath first. If it still hurts then, you can help, okay?"

"As you wish, Slayer. It's your house."

Buffy nodded, smiling softly. "You can wait down here, or in my room, if you like. Willow is at Tara's, and Dawn's probably asleep."

He followed her up the stairs to her room, standing in the doorway while she grabbed a t-shirt and sweats. Spike savored the scents wafting strongly from her room, the concentrated essence of Buffy. This was her sanctuary, a place he had never been with her permission. She smiled again and slid past him into the bathroom, closing the door, but not locking it.

'Girl wants to see how far I can be trusted,' Spike surmised. He turned back to the open door of her room and stepped one foot in after the other, slowly, as if he was expecting to be tossed back into the hall at any moment. Reaching the bed, he sighed in relief, and looked around. It was a bit different than when he first snuck in here to steal a memento or two. The only trace of girlishness left was the pink pig sitting on her bed. The vampire sat down on the soft mattress and picked up the pig, sniffing it. He imagined her sleeping peacefully with the pig tucked under her little chin and smiled wistfully. What he wouldn't give just to watch over her while she slept? To be there to chase away bad dreams. She'd never let him when they were sleeping together.

Spike set down the pig and stood, fidgeting around the room, picking up assorted knick-knacks and pictures. He didn't feel like he belonged here, couldn't, without her encouragement. A soft, feminine bedroom was no place for a creature of the undead. He started to leave to go downstairs when he heard the water shut off and Buffy sinking into the water with a blissful sigh. Spike paused to imagine the sight she made – her golden skin turning pink from the heat, the swell of her breasts just rising above the bubbles in the water as she moved around, her satiny legs lifted one after another to be bathed by the sponge. The hairs at the nape of her neck would be curling up from the steam, and her eyes would be closed as the tensions of the day drifted away with her aches and pains. God, he was hard. Months without her had not slaked his desire for her, his golden goddess. His hand hovered over the doorknob as he debated whether to enter.

He could hear her pulse quicken as she sensed him near. Heard her breath catch as she waited for what he would do. Finally, Spike backed away from the door and went downstairs to watch TV. He wasn't going to betray her trust when things were just starting to get good again.

Buffy sat in her bath unsure what to feel. She was glad he had passed the little test, but at the same time, disappointed he hadn't entered. Knowing he had to have been aroused at the thought of her naked with just a door between them, she closed her eyes and let her hand drift south as she imagined giving him what he needed. In mere minutes, she was panting from her orgasm, though it wasn't near strong enough to satisfy her for the night. Buffy figured she should get out before she turned to a prune, dried off, and dressed.

She found Spike watching a late-night talk show on mute.

"How's your back?" he asked, lifting his eyes to her. _Bloody hell, she's gorgeous, all flushed…_

"Better. A little stiff, but a good night's sleep will cure it."

"I could dig the knots out now, so it doesn't keep you up tonight," he offered.

She nibbled her lip, then caved and sat on the couch. Lifting her tank a little, she indicated where it was sore on her low back, and waited.

Spike rubbed his hands together to warm them with a bit of friction, then slowly spanned Buffy's waist with his fingers. He dug in with his thumbs, on either side of her spine, and Buffy moaned instantly. Feeling the muscles starting to jello, he worked in wider circles, pressing into her back, until the Slayer was bent almost all the way forwards. She was nearly limp as a rag doll.

"Feel good?" he inquired.

"Oh, yeah…I should hire you for doing this after every patrol," she enthused.

He grinned triumphantly. "You could have had this every night if you weren't so stubborn," Spike teasingly reproached."

"Yeah, yeah, hindsight's 20-20. Just keep doing that."

"Yes, ma'am…bossy bint."

"Damn right."

Soon, Spike could tell that she was drifting, and stopped. Buffy sat up, blinking sleepily, and glanced back at him.

"Why'd you stop?"

"Because you were about to fall asleep and end up on the floor. Knowing you, it would have somehow been my fault if you fell over and whacked your noggin on the coffee table," he replied.

"Well, you're fast enough to catch me, so it would have been your fault," she teased back, then yawned. "I guess I should get to bed," she added sheepishly.

"It's alright, luv. You had a busy night. Can't blame you for being spent." Spike stood, then pulled her up by her hand. They casually walked to the door, both not really wanting him to leave.

Spike opened the door and paused to say goodnight. "Come over tomorrow night," Buffy blurted out. "Please?"

"What's tomorrow night?" he asked, amused.

"Dinner?" she posed nervously.

"Like a date?" _God, luv, please don't shoot me down now!_

"Sorta…maybe? It'll just be take-out, cuz I can't cook, but you already know that, and, well, I had a good time the other night, so maybe we can eat with Dawn and…"

"Buffy. I'll come. Cerberus, himself, couldn't stop me," Spike replied, grinning at her babbling. She was so adorable when she babbled…

"Huh?"

"Three-headed dog that lives in Hell. Enormous, nasty beast."

"Oh. Okay, good…not about the dog, but about you coming, and I'm just gonna shut up now before I…" His mouth placing a fleeting kiss on hers stopped the rambling this time.

"Sorry," he said, looking bashful. "The babbling… it was just so…cute…"

"It's okay," Buffy said breathily. "I don't mind." She ducked her head after that admission, cheeks flushing pink.

Spike took a step closer, tilted up her chin, and placed a longer, but still chaste kiss on her lips. They burned as he pulled away, and she wished for more. "Sweet dreams, Buffy." He took his chance to leave while the moment was still perfect.

Her fingertips grazed across her mouth, before it widened into a beaming smile as she shut the door. Buffy felt like a teenager receiving her first kiss goodnight again. It was a heady, giddy feeling, after so many months of cold. She turned off the lights and raced up the stairs to go write in her journal.

------------

The next morning…

Buffy sent Dawn off to school, humming while she'd made breakfast, then set to work on the house chores since she had the day off. Xander knocked as he came in.

"Hi-dee-ho, Buffster! What are you up to today?"

"Hey, Xan. I'm just cleaning, since it's my one rare day off. What's up? Shouldn't you be at work?"

"I took the day off to catch up with my girls. I thought I'd take you to breakfast, Willow to lunch, then my beautiful wife to dinner at the restaurant she's been nagging me about for weeks. Think you can ditch the vacuuming for an hour?"

She smiled. "Sure. Just let me put on something decent." Buffy ran up and changed clothes, then hurried back. "Okay, I'm ready."

"Great. After you, milady," he goofily gestured, holding the front door open for her.

"You're such a dork," she said fondly. Buffy paused to lock the house, then stepped ahead of Xander off the porch.

"YOU BITCH! YOU RUINED MY LIFE!"

_Bang!  
Bang!_

"BUFFY!"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"BUFFY!" Xander screamed, seeing her fall. He scrambled to his friend, ignoring the pain in his shoulder from the graze of a bullet, to where she lay on the walk. "Buffy, just hang on, okay? I'm calling 911." Applying pressure to her wound, he dialed three digits with his other hand.

"911 Call Center, what is your emergency?"

"My friend has been shot, in front of her house. We need an ambulance right now!!"

"Try to stay calm, sir. Do you know the address?"

"1630 Revello Drive. She's bleeding from two places, please tell them to hurry!"

"The ambulance is on its way, sir." "Xander, Xander Harris." "They're on their way, Xander. Are you injured?"

"No, not really."

"Okay, I'm going to stay on the line with you until the ambulance reaches the address, okay? Try to apply pressure to the victim's wounds, Xander. Is she conscious?"

"I think so…Buffy? Talk to me, girl. Stay with me."

Buffy slowly turned her head towards her friend, feeling slow and sluggish. She was breathing fast, shallow breaths. "Xander? It hurts…Dawn…she's at school…"

"I know, Buffy. I'll call the school once the ambulance takes you to the hospital."

"No like hospitals…I…I'm a little cold."

"Sir?"

"She's talking to me still…hold on." Xander set the phone on the concrete and raced around the side of the house to the kitchen door and grabbed Spike's old ratty blanket out of the hall closet. He slid around the corner of the house to fall back at her side, wrapping Buffy in the blanket. "Better, Buffy? Buffy?!"

"Hmm?" Everything seemed like it was going in slow motion.

"Keep talking to me, Slayer. You're going to make it through this!" he insisted.

"Xander…I'm, I'm not afraid…it hurts less…" Her eyes started to flutter closed again.

"Buffy! I can hear the sirens. Just hang on!"

"Mr. Harris? Xander?" "I'm here. I can hear the ambulance. Tell them to hurry. She's fading…" "Just keep applying that pressure for a couple more minutes, Xander…"

The next few minutes were a blur, as the paramedics rushed up the walk with their equipment, hooked Buffy up to monitors and tubes, and hefted her into the ambulance.  
Two police cars also arrived on the scene.

"You're the young man that called in the shooting?" one of the cops asked Xander.

"Yeah, that's me, Xander Harris. We were just leaving the house, when the guy came around the bushes and started shooting."

"Did you recognize the suspect, Mr. Harris?" jotting notes in his book.

"Yeah, uh, Warren…Warren Meers. I recognized him from high school."

"Do you have any idea why Mr. Meers would want to shoot your friend, Miss…"

"Buffy Summers. She mentioned witnessing a robbery last night. Maybe it's connected?" he replied. Couldn't exactly tell them the full story.

"Hey! We gotta transport this girl now!" one of the paramedics called.

Xander looked over and asked, "Can I ride with her? She's my best friend." They both looked to the officers, who waved him on.

"We'll catch up with you at the hospital, Mr. Harris. If you remember anything else, make a note of it."

Xander nodded and hopped into the truck. The door was slammed shut, and then they were barreling towards the hospital.

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The paramedics wheeled the gurney into Sunnydale Hospital's Emergency Room. A nurse and doctor met them as they came through the doors.

"What've we got?" Dr. Larkin asked.

"21-year-old female, gunshots to the left upper chest and right abdomen. Lost a lot of blood at the scene."

"Alright, wheel her into Room 1," she replied, looking over the report. "Start her on an IV of O Neg until we know type specific. Was she conscious on the ride over?"

"Not really."

Corinne looked up, seeing the girl's face, and gasped. 'Oh, my God. It's Buffy.' "Alright, on my count." The paramedics, nurse, and doctor prepared to move the young woman from the portable gurney to the E.R. table. "1, 2…3. Pulse is thready but hanging in there. Bring in the portable ultrasound for the belly." She lifted Buffy's left shoulder to glance behind. "No exit wound. Means the bullet is probably lodged in her shoulder blade. Page Surgery!"

Xander burst through the doors into the room, stopping short as he saw his friend looking so pale and small. "Is she going to be alright?"

"You can't be in here, sir," one of the nurses said, starting to guide him back to the waiting room.

"Wait! You! I know you, don't I? You were at my wedding, with…"

"Mr. Harris, I'm doing my best for Buffy, but we need you to leave so we can concentrate. Why don't you see if you can contact her family?" Corinne said kindly, but firmly.

He nodded, eyes wide as the shock of the day started to set in. The nurse gently guided him out to the lobby, and Corinne sighed in relief.

"Someone called for a surgery consult?"

"Young woman with two gunshot wounds, neither of which exited the body. Portable chest x-ray shows the one in the upper chest is lodged in the shoulder blade. We were just about to do a belly ultrasound," Dr. Larkin presented. "Pulse is weak, but steady. We've managed to clamp the bleeders, but she already lost a lot at the scene."

"How many bags so far?" the surgeon asked, as he focused on the ultrasound screen.

"2, and she's working on a third."

"Means she's still probably losing in the belly. Congratulations, Dr. Larkin, you found a Surgery case. Let's get her up to the O.R. before she bleeds to death."

Alarms started sounding on the monitors and the team rushed into action. "She's crashing!"

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Xander stood at the pay phone dialing one number, as he punched in another on his cell. 'Come on, come on…pick up…' "Wills! Hey…"

"Xander? What's wrong? You sound funny?"

"Will…Buffy's in the hospital. You guys need to come right away. It was Warren. He shot at us as we were leaving the house," he replied, tears in his voice. He heard Tara whisper "Goddess, no!" in the background as Willow relayed what he just said.

"We'll be there right away. Do you have Giles' number?"

"Yeah," he croaked. "See you soon."

He next spoke to Anya, and then Dawnie's school. Not knowing Buffy's progress, yet, he told the office to be on alert for Dawn to need to be picked up at any time, but to not disturb her for now. That done, Xander took a steadying breath, and started dialing the international number.

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"Okay, she's stable for now. Let's get her upstairs before she crashes again!" the surgeon barked. Corinne followed into the elevator as they pushed Buffy inside.

"Dr. Larkin?"

"Sir, I was wondering if I could scrub in…I know this girl." She stood firm in front of the senior doctor as he considered the request.

"Fine, as long as you stay out of the way. Interns…" he muttered.

"Wait!" Xander called, as the elevator doors started to close. "Where are you taking Buffy?"

"She's going up to the O.R., Mr. Harris. You need to let us do our jobs," she replied.

"What floor?"

"5." The doors closed, leaving Xander with options to consider.

Before he could head upstairs, two of the policemen that had come to the house were there to ask more questions.

"How is Miss Summers?"

"They're, uh, taking her up to surgery. I don't know, yet."

"If you don't mind, we'd like to take your full statement while you wait…"

"Sure," Xander replied, spent. "As long as it's on the 5th floor. I'm not leaving her alone up there." They nodded, and the group took the next elevator up.

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Three hours later, Willow, Tara, Anya, and Dawn had joined Xander in the waiting room. The blonde Wicca had gone to pick up the girl once they discovered Buffy would be in surgery a while. Dawn hadn't wanted to wait it out in class, wanting to be at the hospital in case…well, they weren't going to consider that, yet. Giles was getting the first available flight from England.

Dr. Larkin glanced through the window at the little 'family', steeling herself to present the information without getting emotional. She pushed the door open, Dawn's eyes lighting up in recognition and hope as she entered.

"How's Buffy?" she asked eagerly.

Corinne strove for serious, but compassionate. This was the most difficult part of her job. It never seemed to get easier. "We managed to remove both bullets, and she's weak, but stable. We repaired the damage, but your sister lost a lot of blood. We, uh, had to remove one of her kidneys. She's in recovery, now…I'll have one of the nurses let you know when she's been moved to a private room."

"How long will that take? When is she gonna wake up?" Dawn asked.

"She should be in a room in about an hour. As for your second question, we're not sure, yet. At this point, it's up to her," Corinne replied solemnly. The adults all heard the unspoken statement. _She might never wake up._

The teen nodded, remaining positive. "Alright. Well, Buffy's strong…stronger than anyone. She'll get through this," Dawn said with conviction. No one had the heart to contradict her, as they all hoped she was right.

"It's good to remain positive. We really just have to watch and wait, now. Are there any more questions?" Corinne added.

Anya clung tighter to Xander's arm, and noticed him wince. "Xander Harris! You're hurt! Doctor, fix him!"

"I'm alright," he said gruffly. "It's just a graze."

"Still, it should be looked at," Corinne reasoned. "I can take a look at it down in the E.R. Probably only take a few minutes. You have time."

"Fine," he sighed, too tired to argue. "Anybody want anything from the cafeteria while I'm down there?"

Willow and Anya shook their heads. Tara said, "Maybe some tea, if they have it? Dawn, do you want a soda?"

"Please?"

"Diet Coke, I know, Dawnie. Ahn? You wanna come with?" His wife nodded gratefully and stood to follow Xander.

Willow and Tara cuddled together, the redhead trying not to cry and upset Dawn. The teen pulled out her homework, having nothing else to do.

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Xander winced as Dr. Larkin applied the medicated ointment to his wound. The grazing bullet had basically left an open burn mark on his upper arm.

"Sorry. It shouldn't sting as much once this has a chance to take effect," Corinne apologized. She taped a square of gauze over the wound and stripped off the rubber gloves. "Okay, you can put your shirt back on." She dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "And I won't even charge you, considering…"

"That's very kind," Anya piped up. She'd been rubbing Xander's free hand the whole time, actively trying not to look as upset as she felt. She only had the one experience before of grief, so the shock, the fright, the worry…it was all a bit overwhelming for the former vengeance demon. She didn't understand it any better than the first time, really, but she knew what to expect now, at least. The one thing Anya _did_ understand with complete certainty is that Warren Meers deserved vengeance.

"Ahn, you're kinda cutting off circulation to my hand," Xander teased.

"Oh! Sorry! We should get the refreshments and head back upstairs, right?"

He smiled a bit and squeezed her hand. "Probably. Honey, if you'd be more comfortable at home…"

"No! No, I…I just want to be useful, doing something…so, cafeteria nourishment is the current goal. Goals are important for life, you know," she stated.

"Let's go." Xander slipped his shirt back on, with some help from his wife, then shook hands with the doctor. "Thanks. For everything. The doctors that worked on her…they're good?"

"Really good. They still blow my knowledge out of the water, and I got A's," Corinne reassured them. "This may not be a fancy L.A. hospital, but we have good people here."

He nodded. "Good to know. Let's find the cafeteria, Ahn."

Corinne watched the couple walk off hand in hand, then as the young man slipped his arm around his wife's shoulders as she pressed into his side. 'Poor Dawn. If Buffy doesn't make it out of this, she has nobody. The couples at least have each other to turn to.' The doctor's shift was about over. She had to sign her charts, and then it would be time to go home. Or rather, time to check on Buffy Summers again, until she could notify Spike. She was pretty sure the vampire had been forgotten in all the chaos and worry.

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The nurse stuck her head into the family room. "You're with Buffy Summers?"

"Yes, that's us. Can I see my sister now? Is she awake?"

"Not, yet, dear. Please follow me. I'll show you to her room. You can only enter one at a time, and for no longer than 5 minutes. We don't want the patient disturbed while she's recuperating."

The group followed the nurse as she talked, down hallways, until they passed through ominous doors marked "ICU". The adult Scoobies exchanged glances behind Dawn.

"Now, before you go in, I want to prepare you for what you will see. Your sister is hooked up to machines that are helping her breathe and take nourishment. She has a tube down her throat, but that is common with this kind of surgery, until she is breathing better on her own," the nurse explained quietly.

"Can I touch her?" Dawn asked, before going in.

The middle-aged nurse smiled at the young girl. "You can squeeze her hand, or brush her hair off her face. Just be careful of the tubes, okay?" She walked off and left the group to decide on their own who would go in first.

"Go ahead, Dawnie. She'd want to see you first," Tara encouraged.

Dawn nodded bravely, and pushed open the door, gasping at the sight of her sister, so small and frail looking on the bed. A light blue blanket was pulled up to Buffy's chest, and the low lighting made her look extra pale. She watched the slow rise and fall of her sister's breathing, before venturing further towards the bed. Dawn gently lifted her sister's hand and squeezed it between her own.

"You're stupid, you know. Warren's crazy. You should have been watching out for him. God, Buffy, you have to get better. I need you. Not just to take care of me, you know. I need my sister. I want to be able to tell you about my first date, and my first prom. I want you there at graduation, and helping me move into my dorm room, so you can't die again…not yet. You're probably close to going back to…but Buffy, please wait a bit longer? Things were just getting good again…" She wiped at her tears, sniffing them back and trying to be strong. "I know you can beat this, Buffy. Even without your Slayer powers. You're just too stubborn. Don't let Warren win." Dawn glanced up at the clock and frowned. Her five minutes were up. She kissed her sister's cheek and squeezed her hand again. "I have to let one of the others see you now, but I'm not going anywhere, okay? I love you, Buffy."

None of the four Scoobies would forget the sight of Dawn coming out of that hospital room looking like a grown woman. Her expression was determined, and the look in her eyes decreed that this was no longer the little girl/woman that had been deposited by the monks a year and a half ago. And they all wished her innocence could have been spared just a little bit longer. She took a seat in a chair in the hall and smiled bravely at them, before pulling out her notebook again.

Willow went in next.

"Oh, Buffy…I should have been there this morning. I could have stopped him…protected you and Xander…Well, Faith made it out of her coma, so you just have to beat that record." She ignored the tears that streaked her cheeks. "I promise…I p-promise, Buffy. I won't try to raise you again. If you're…determined, to g-go…then I won't stop you. I'm so sorry I've been a horrible friend this year. Tara and I have spent a lot of time talking lately, and I realize now that I have a fear of losing control…I try to hang on to things, and lose them faster...like I tried to keep you. I can't even imagine what it's been like for you, but if you wake up, I want to try, okay? I want to be your best friend again. We, uh…we've talked about some healing spells, but Giles is coming, so…we'll wait. You'd probably want his opinion, anyway. I love you, Buffy. I can't remember the last time I said it, but I do. Well…yeah…I'm gonna let Xander come in, okay?"

Xander stayed his whole five minutes. Anya was content to sit with the others, so Tara went in for a couple minutes. The gentle-spirited Wicca looked over the Slayer, seeing the otherworldly perception of her aura. She whispered a prayer to a goddess over her friend, then rejoined the group. They had little to do. Giles was still hours away, and who knew when Buffy would wake up. Noticing that Anya was getting stir-crazy, Xander stood to go.

"Do you guys mind if we leave for a while? Anya didn't have time to close up the shop properly…"

"Go ahead," Dawn replied. "We have your number, if something changes."

"You're sure, Dawnie?"

She nodded. "I'm sure. Get some food, or something. You'll have to go retrieve Giles in a while, anyway."

They exchanged hugs and parted. Dawn stretched her neck and back, then sat back down to read her textbook. Willow's nervous energy finally got the best of her, so she left to browse the gift shop. Tara took this private opportunity to put her arm around Dawn's slender shoulders. The teen leaned her head on the blonde and started to cry, silently.

"I'm so proud of you, Dawnie. You've been great today, you know that? It's okay to be vulnerable right now, too, though. Buffy's probably going to be in the hospital a bit…if you'd like, I could stay at the house again?"

"That'd be cool…thanks," she sniffled.

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Corinne had never dreaded anything more, than walking into Spike's crypt that afternoon to wake him up with bad news. He was going to be heartbroken, unless things had only gotten worse between him and the Slayer. She didn't think so, though. She saw how they looked at each other. It was only a matter of time before they were drawn back together, like magnets. She climbed down the ladder, deliberate making noise with her shoes on the rungs. He hadn't stirred. Not surprising, since it was still broad daylight.

"Spike…"

"Hmm?" He sat straight up, blinking against the light she had turned on. "What's up, Doc?"

"Can you travel by day?"

"Yeah…by the sewers. Why?" he asked, confused.

She sighed, there being no easy way to say this. "Buffy's in the hospital. She was admitted this morning."

"This morning? What happened? She doesn't slay demons in daylight, at least not usually. Was it a car wreck? Someone hit her while she was crossing the road?" He fired off rapid questions while reaching for his pants. Corinne avoided the view.

"Spike…she was shot, two times. She's in the ICU right now. I'm sorry…"

If it was possible for a vampire to lose all color, Spike accomplished it. He doubled his speed getting dressed and was running down the tunnels without another word. Corinne's shoulders sagged as she was filled with regret. She should have come to see him sooner. Should have been gentler in telling him. Shouldn't have let him run off like that when he was so upset…

She got back in her car and headed back to the hospital. Being there when he found his way inside was the best she could offer.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Two hours after her surgery, Buffy's body started showing signs of increased awareness, as the deep sedation wore off. She appeared to be dreaming, her muscles having little twitches here and there. The nurse made a note of it on the chart and a mental note to come back in half an hour.

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Corinne was waiting at the most shaded entrance when Spike came running through the doors.

"Where is she?" he barked, heading towards the main lobby and the elevators.

"Spike, you can't just charge in there. You need to stop at the nurses' station and get a visitor's pass. They won't just let you barrel into ICU," Corinne reasoned.

"What floor?" he growled, punching the 'up' button repeatedly for the elevator. The doors opened just before he lost patience for waiting and ran up the stairs. She followed him in and pressed 'stop'.

"Look, I know you're very upset, but you need to calm down, okay? If you go up there looking like you're going to eat someone, they're going to call security against you. Normally, you wouldn't even be able to see her, but since Dawn is her only relative in town, and a minor, the rest have already been in there. I'll get you a pass, just please keep your voice down up there, okay?" she pleaded.

He slumped against the wall of the elevator, the adrenaline draining away now that he was forced to stop. Spike nodded, so she pushed the button to get the elevator moving again. He followed directions mutely as he was told to sign the visitor's book, clip on the visitor's badge, follow Corinne… She stopped in front of Buffy's door.

"You need to understand that the sight of her will probably be upsetting right now. She has a tube in to help her breathe, and more hooked up elsewhere. You can touch her, just mind the lines, alright?" Another nod.

Spike swallowed nervously, and pushed the door open, Corinne slipping in behind him just in case he had questions. She kept an eye out the little window for the Scoobies.

The smells in any hospital were strong enough to make his nose burn, but having it all associated with Buffy made them that much worse. He could smell the trace of blood from her wounds, the iodine used on her skin to sterilize it, the plastic of the equipment keeping her alive. The one reassurance was her heartbeat, pounding through his brain, though slower than he was used to hearing it…or liked to hear. Buffy's hand twitched – he held his breath, praying she would open her eyes.

"She won't be waking up quite yet," Corinne said softly. "The anesthesia's just worn off enough that she can dream now. But sleep is good. She just had major surgery, so her body needs to concentrate completely on healing."

"What is all this…equipment?" he asked, waving his arm towards the machines.

She walked over to demonstrate. "Well, this monitors her vitals. Pulse rate, heartbeat, oxygen levels… This one is the respirator. It has a pump that circulates oxygen into her lungs through that tube to help her breathe. It'll come out once she's awake, or at least breathing sufficiently without help. This little thing regulates her pain medication. I'm sure you recognize IV bags…"

He nodded, absorbing. "So, she's…comfortable? Not in any pain?"

"High as a kite, if she were awake. Again, once she has recovered further, the level will be dropped gradually and she'll be switched to pills."

"What all-" Spike cleared his throat and tried speaking again. "What all did they do to her?" He finally stepped close enough to take Buffy's hand in his own, stroking the soft skin with his thumb. She shouldn't be lying so still. His Slayer was a force of nature.

"I treated her in the E.R. She had lost a lot of blood before she got here…we had to clamp the severed veins and arteries to get her stable enough for surgery. Neither bullet had left her body, yet…"

"Bullets? She was _shot?_"

Corinne nodded. "Xander was there at the house with her. I don't know who the shooter was. Anyway…Buffy almost died before we got her to the O.R. The surgeon had to open the wound in her abdomen further to clamp the bleeder while we did CPR. Once she was stable, she came up here. The surgery lasted three hours – I stayed to watch – and she's been out for two. They, uh…had to remove one of her kidneys. That's where the bullet had stopped, and it was not repairable. She'll function fine on just one, though, as long as she doesn't get a major infection in the future. There will be scar tissue…"

"No, there won't…eventually. Slayer healing will take care of that. The only scars she bears are the fang marks on her neck. Her powers will take care of all of it, as long as she's alive."

"That's good. It also helps that she has a life to come back to, people that love her. We've found that a patient's mental state can make up for what medicine can't. But, I'm sure you've known lots that were too stubborn to die, in your lifetime."

He grunted, but didn't reply. Buffy was stubborn enough to make it through anything, if she wanted to. It was the 'if' that worried him. He knew her too well not to believe that she might take this chance to return to heaven, if she could. Despite improving in recent weeks, his Slayer still longed to return to her final rest. It was more precious to her than even Dawn. Whomever had done this would pay – he'd see to it, even if the bastard was human. Spike had an invitation to dinner, and they were _going_ to have that dinner, even if it wasn't tonight.

"We should probably leave, Spike," Corinne said gently, interrupting his thoughts. "I'm only supposed to let you in here for five minutes."

"Could I have just a moment alone? Please?"

"Sure." She slipped out to wait in the hall, keeping an eye out.

"God, luv…when Doc said you were hurt, my heart would have stopped, if it still beat. I've never been so scared in my unlife. I had time, coming through the sewers, to think of all the possible things that might have happened to you…You have to get well, sweetheart. We just started getting to a good place, you know? You can't let some wanker with a gun steal that away, Buffy. We need you. It's selfish, but we do. Open those pretty hazel eyes at me and shoot off that smart mouth…god, I'd give anything for one of your puns right now. I love you, Buffy, and I'm going to be here every night until you wake up—" The rap on the door reminded him his time was up. "I'll see you again soon, kitten." He bent down and kissed her forehead, then the back of her hand. Stroked his slender fingers through her blonde strands. Spike could barely make himself walk away. It hurt to put her out of his sight.

"You okay?" Corinne asked when he came out.

"Do I look it?"

"I know, it's a dumb question…I just want to be there for you, Spike. I know this has to be hard."

"I need to talk to Harris, find out who did this. You want to take out the Slayer; you fight her one on one like any self-respecting demon should. What kind of coward shoots a girl going to breakfast, huh? Torture's too good for 'em." He stopped to batter the poor elevator button again. "I need a smoke. Bloody antiseptic smell makes me want to heave. People are supposed to get well here. Can't they make it smell like flowers or cake? And why is this damn elevator so slow?!" Spike whirled around, caught sight of the stairs, and stomped off to take the alternate route. Corinne couldn't keep up with him down those steps, so she hoped that he wasn't going to do anything crazy. At least it was still light out.

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Spike had no intention of leaving the hospital, yet. He wanted the pay phone. Calling The Magic Box didn't help – the machine came on immediately to take messages. He didn't have Harris' home number. Maybe the witches would be with Dawn at home – only there was no answer there, either. Which meant they had to be here. The Bit would want to be near her sister, unless people forced her to go home. Rather than tearing the hospital apart, he waited for Corinne to exit the stairwell.

She jumped, not expecting him to be right outside the door. "Spike! Warn a girl!"

"Buffy's family – where would they be in this rat trap?"

"There's a family waiting room on the 5th floor, or they could be in the cafeteria…"

"Great. Show me." He took her by the elbow and started guiding her towards the elevators.

"The cafeteria is down here." Sighing, she turned down a hallway. "This way."

Spike sniffed as they stepped inside. "Harris and Demon Girl have been here, the rest haven't. Upstairs."

'Good thing I'm wearing trainers,' Corinne thought, hurrying to catch up. Following a vampire on a mission could quickly get exhausting.

An alarm was going off at the nurses' station when they got up there. Corinne checked the code then hurried off. "Stay here, Spike!" she ordered.

Dr. Larkin entered the room to see a frantic Buffy trying to move as the nurses tried to calm her down.

"Give her a mild sedative. Buffy? Do you remember me? Just blink, honey, don't move. I'm going to remove the tube from your throat, okay, but I need your help. Once for 'yes'."

The blonde blinked and waited, going still.

"Okay, I need you to swallow as I pull this out. Ready?" Dr. Larkin removed the tube as gently as she could, but it still left Buffy coughing. One of the nurses helped her take a sip of water. "You're in Sunnydale Hospital, Buffy. Do you remember how you got here? Just blink, don't try to talk." Another single blink, though she looked a little confused. "It's okay to feel foggy. You were heavily sedated during surgery, and in and out of consciousness before that. How do you feel? Are you in any pain?"

Buffy thought about it, then shook her head slowly.

"Good. I'm going to let your surgeon know you're awake."

"My…friends…" the Slayer croaked, her throat sore from the tube.

"I think someone's still here, with Dawn. We'll page them once the doctor has had a look at you, okay?"

She nodded a little, then closed her eyes, still very tired. Corinne adjusted the pain drip, made some notes, and left the room. She told the nurse at the desk to page Dr. Solomon, then found Spike pacing by the elevator.

"You were in Buffy's room. Is she alright?" he asked frantically.

"She just woke up. Wait! Her doctor has to see her first, then family. Just have a little patience, okay?"

"Where's Dawn?"

"They should be down here."

Dawn launched herself at the vampire upon sight, hugging him tight enough to hurt a mortal man. He held her to him, whispering words of comfort. Tara just smiled, while Willow looked away uncomfortably.

"Dr. Larkin?" the redhead addressed instead.

"The good news is that Buffy is awake. She has to be seen by her doctor first, and she's still going to be very tired, so only two visitors right now. It's the rules, I didn't make 'em. That being said, we'll know more about how she's healing once the doctor is done. He'll answer all your questions."

"But she can talk, right?" Dawn asked.

"A little. The tube helping her breathe creates a nasty sore throat when it's removed, so just ask her to nod or shake her head to questions. The important thing is to focus on her getting well. She's needs support, and to know that people are there even if this is difficult."

"How long until I can see her?"

"Uh…around ten minutes, depending on if her surgeon is available right away. I don't know Dr. Solomon's schedule. One of the nurses will get you, don't worry." Corinne shook hands with the ladies, then left. A hand on her shoulder stopped her in the hallway. She turned around to meet the worried eyes of her friend.

"There isn't anything you're not telling the Bit, is there…? Somethin' she's too young to hear?"

"Spike, you know what I do right now. The surgeon will be able to say more after he's examined her, but I saw no signs that she's not recovering well, okay? You just need to be a little patient," she encouraged. He nodded, some of the tension draining out of his shoulders.

"Alright, Doc. I guess I'll sit with the Niblet until then… Thanks, pet. Are you off duty now?"

"Yeah…I was going to head home. Feel free to page me if something comes up…" Corinne turned to walk away. She'd started work at 6am and was dead tired.

"Corinne!" Spike called, stopping her at the elevators. "About before…I was a real jerk, and…"

"Don't worry about it. You've got more important things to focus on here." She stepped in the elevator, holding the door for a nurse also going down.

"Pet…"

"It's okay, really. Just go be with Dawn." The doors closed, and there was nothing more to say.

------------

"Miss Summers. You had quite the scare this morning. You're lucky to be alive," Dr. Solomon greeted Buffy.

"W-water…please?" she croaked

"You can have some ice chips." He nodded to the nurse to go get them. "Let's see how these wounds are doing, eh?" Dr. Solomon moved her gown aside to expose first the wound below her collarbone, then the one on her abdomen. "Roll to your side, please?" He them examined the small incision made in her low back to remove the damaged kidney. "Good…good, minimal oozing. Has anyone explained to you the procedures you had done, yet, today?"

Buffy shook her head.

"Well, obviously, those bullets had to be removed. They were a soft type, designed to spread out and do tissue damage as they travel through the body. The one in your chest stopped at your shoulder blade. Luckily, that one missed the major arteries. The one that went into your belly wasn't quite as generous. It did a lot of damage as it passed through, before lodging in your kidney. The damage to that organ was too severe for us to repair, and we had to remove it. You can still live a normal, healthy life with one, though, as long as you don't get a major infection some time in the future. Now, you lost a lot of blood, so it's normal for you to feel weak for a while, and we're going to want to keep you in the hospital for at least a few more days. Your wounds need to be checked often. Are you in any pain right now?"

"Not really…good drugs." She swallowed convulsively at the pain in her throat, which just made her grimace further. The nurse showed up with the ice chips.

"Suck slowly on those, dear."

"There's a note on your chart that your family is still here, so I'm going to let you see them now, but just a couple, for a few minutes. I want you to get lots of rest, Buffy," Dr. Solomon ordered.

She nodded again, feeling too tired to try running off, anyway. The doctor and nurse left after drawing some samples for tests. Buffy's eyes were drifting closed, when there was a knock on her door.

"Buffy?" Dawn asked hesitantly, poking her head around the door.

Her sister smiled a little and nodded for her to come in. "Hey," she croaked.

The teen rushed in, grateful to see her sister awake, and tried to give her a hug without hurting Buffy. "You look like hell," she teased.

"Ha, ha."

"And sound like a frog. Did the doctor say when you could come home?"

Buffy grimaced. "Few days. I-"

"Hate hospitals. Yeah, we know. Still, your health is what matters. Tara and Willow are here…and Spike. He's pretty worried about you."

"Xander?"

"Gone to pick up Giles from the airport. He's okay. Just a bad scrape on his arm. He talked to the police when you got here, apparently, so they know to search for that creep. So…since you're in here, does that mean I can stay home from school tomorrow?"

"Dawn…"

The teen grinned unrepentantly. "Yeah, just checking. Should I send Spike in next?" she asked hopefully. She could see her sister grind on the question, before giving her answer.

"Yeah…I need to ask him something."

"Okay!" Dawn said cheerfully. She kissed her sister's cheek, then hurried to call her vampire in. "Spike! You're next."

He looked up surprised, then hurried in before either of the witches could stop him.

"Why does he get to go?" Willow complained to Dawn.

"She said she had to ask him something. I'm not going to argue with a sick Slayer," she replied. Tara just shook her head and suggested Willow call Xander and let him know Buffy was awake. Dawn beamed at the blonde witch, recognizing the distraction tactic that would give Spike and Buffy a few minutes of peace.

------------

"You wanted to see me, luv?"

"I did. Have a seat," she whispered.

"Would you rather write it down, pet? Don't want you hurting yourself," he added, sitting nimbly on the edge of the bed.

"I'm alright. Sorry there's no dinner tonight."

Spike squeezed the hand lying near his thigh. "No worries, luv. We'll have other nights. You just need to focus on getting well. You almost died today, Slayer. I don't care that he's human, Buffy. The police just better find him before I do…" he ended up saying on a growl.

His protectiveness made her smile. "Thanks for the sentiment, but don't get yourself hurt. Listen, Spike…I want you to watch after Dawn, while I'm in here, okay? She listens to you…and she needs someone who'll make sure she goes to school…"

"Whatever you want, Buffy, as long as you take it easy. You don't need to worry about the Bit. She had a right scare, waiting for you to wake up today. We all did. I'm sure she'll be on her best behavior."

She snickered, then coughed a little. "Yeah, right…at least she has that job to keep her occupied." Buffy yawned, sleep coming whether she wanted it or not.

Spike brushed her hair back with a gentle hand. "Go ahead and sleep, kitten. I'll be around when you wake up."

"Promise?" she asked sleepily.

"Cross my undead heart. Sweet dreams, Buffy." He kissed her cheek, pleased when he saw the contented smile that crossed her face.

"Mmmm…" Her body rhythms were soon slow and even as she fell into a restorative sleep.

Spike slipped out quietly and rejoined Dawn in the hall.

"You should get something to eat, Spike. Knowing you, you raced down here without warming up your breakfast first," she said upon sight of him.

"Your sister's asleep. Any news from the Whelp or the cops?" he asked, ignoring her suggestion.

"Nope. So are you gonna eat something, or what? We have nothing else to do if she's asleep."

"Fine, if it'll get you to quit naggin' me."

------------

Corinne was glad to get home to her cozy little apartment. She toed off her shoes, put a cup of soup in the microwave to heat, and started running a bath while she finished undressing. Sinking into the hot water, she sighed in relief as her sore muscles started to unwind. However, her mind wasn't so quick to unwind. The day replayed in her head, from the quiet early morning, to the rare event of getting a trauma in during the day, to finding out it was someone she knew, to having to tell a kid her big sister was in serious condition, to waking up Spike with the news. This kind of day was part of why she chose to do her residency so far from home. She could avoid having to tell someone she knew well that his or her loved one might not make it. Avoid emotional attachments while she was still learning.

Corinne wasn't sure why she'd stayed away from Spike so long. Well, she hadn't completely stayed away. She peeked into his crypt during the day, sometimes, when she knew he'd be sound asleep. And sometimes, she thought that he might have come by the hospital to check on her, too, when she'd walk out at night and smell cigarettes. A month later, she could admit that his refusal to open up had hurt her, even though it was his prerogative to share or not. And seeing him today, looking like his world might fall apart if Buffy Summers wasn't alright…well, she hadn't been prepared for that to hurt, too.

"Oh, this is not good…" Corinne groaned, as realization struck.

She was falling for a vampire. A friend. _Spike_.

------------

"Giles," Willow sighed happily, greeting the Watcher as he came off the elevator. He hugged her, then shook hands with Tara.

"How is she? Is she awake?"

"She woke up for a little while earlier, but she's been sleeping since," Dawn replied. "She's been through a lot." _And you weren't here._

"Dawn. It's good to see you. How are you holding up?" he asked kindly.

"Like a trooper. Where are you staying, cuz I don't know if Buffy's going to be waking up again tonight?" she responded shortly. In Dawn's mind, Giles was definitely partly to blame for her sister's near collapse, and all the pain that came with it.

"I haven't made arrangements, yet, in the rush. Will they let me look in on her?" he asked the witches.

"Let's go talk to the nurses' station," Willow suggested. "They said we could stay until 8 o'clock, so I think it'll be okay."

"Hey, Dawnster, you want to go get a bite to eat? Get some fresh air for a little while?" Xander offered, trying to be cheery.

"You can pick up something, if you want. I'd rather stay here," she replied. Dawn didn't plan on leaving until the hospital kicked her out. She knew Spike would be here doing the same thing. Speaking of which, where had he run off?

"Sure, kiddo. We'll get some Chinese for everybody since it's closest," he replied.

Why did they have to pretend it was just another day? She didn't expect everybody to go around in ashes and sackcloth, but they could at least just be normal about the serious situation. For all Dawn believed in the positive, she'd lived in Sunnydale too long to think everything always turned out sunshine and roses. Her sister could still have health issues. They _didn't_ know for sure, yet, that she was going to be fine. Dawn sat down to wait again within sight of Buffy's room.

Giles came out a minute later and nodded to her, before heading back to the Scoobies. No big surprise. He'd never known what to do with her, anyway, unless it was scolding her for touching things at The Magic Box, or reading his books. Giles was lousy with young people.

"Hey, Bit. What are you doing all on your lonesome?" Spike asked, sitting down next to her.

"Giles arrived. They're all talking up there. You know how it goes," she replied with a shrug. _The humans always grouped together._

"That, I do, pet. Have you eaten dinner? Your sister wants me to make sure you get your 3-squares."

"Better late than never, huh? Anyway, Xander's supposed to be going for Chinese food. Do you think they'll let me eat up here?" she asked, turning to the vampire.

"They let the patients eat, don't they? I don't think they'd deprive a skinny little girl of a meal, either."

"I'm not little," Dawn pouted.

"True enough, Bit. I keep wishing you didn't have to grow up so fast. You know I'll look after you, right? If all this goes belly up somehow?"

She smiled. "I know."

------------

Corinne had been asleep only a few hours, when she was paged by the hospital.

"Someone paged me?" she said, calling in.

"Dr. Larkin? Your patient from today…Buffy Summers… There was a note on the chart to call you if something came up."

"What's her condition?" Corinne asked, getting dressed.

"We had to put her on oxygen. She has fluid building up in her lungs."

"Alright, I'll be there in about ten minutes. Start her on antibiotics for pneumonia and page Dr. Solomon. He's in charge of her case."

"Yes, ma'am."

_Crap!_ Wasn't this girl supposed to have super healing powers or something? Damnit! It was like her body wanted to fight them every time they fixed something.

Dr. Larkin discovered the problem when she walked into Buffy's hospital room.

"Who laid the bed completely flat?" she barked at the nurse trailing her. Corinne grabbed the remote and elevated the head of the bed a few degrees.

"I-I did, ma'am. The patient was complaining that she couldn't sleep sitting up…"

"So, you just put the bed down, without consulting her chart? Nurse…"

"Melody. I-I'm a temp."

"_Wonderful._ You're a _temp_. Well, _Melody_, you've probably given this patient pneumonia from all the fluid that backed up in her lungs, and we'll be lucky if you haven't killed her! Go get your supervisor. As far as I'm concerned, you're fired," Corinne growled.

The young nurse practically wet herself in fear, before recovering enough to scamper out of the room.

"I'm sorry, Buffy. I hope you can fight your way through this," Dr. Larkin muttered as she updated the chart and checked medications. Hopefully, the young blonde would get through the night without having to be intibated. Having to wait, Corinne sat down and watched until Dr. Solomon arrived.

"You've been pretty dedicated to this one patient, Dr. Larkin," he remarked.

"A good friend of mine is in love with her. I owe it to him to do my best."

"Ah, I see…You should go home, get back to bed. You look like hell, and nothing's going to change with Miss Summers that can't be handled without you."

She rubbed her tired, gritty eyes. "Is that a suggestion, or an order from a superior?"

"Whatever it takes to get you to _go home_, Intern."

Corinne sighed, and pushed herself up. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry you had to be called out of your bed in the middle of the night."

"Perk of the job, Dr. Larkin. Get some sleep. This place will need you tomorrow."

------------

"I'm not going to school today! We don't even know if Buffy's out of the woods, yet," Dawn said stubbornly, facing down Spike in the morning.

"Bit, the hospital would have called if something was wrong. You can put in your six hours of class time before you go back to see her."

"What if something sudden happens, like with Mom, and I'm not there? How can I live with that?" she argued.

"You think I don't worry about it, too? Look, playing all the 'what-ifs' isn't going to do any of us a lot of good, and you know it. Your sister wanted you to keep going to school, so you're going to school!"

"Oh, so since she says it, it's law?! Screw that! My teachers will understand. Missing _one day_ isn't going to make me flunk!"

"You're going, if I have to drag you through the sewers by your hair to get you there. Now, Harris will be here any minute. Get your skinny arse downstairs, grab a muffin, and _go to school._" He had that look she knew all too well that said he wasn't budging, or making idle threats.

Dawn glared at Spike a final time, grabbed her backpack in a huff, and stomped down the stairs as loud as she could. She slammed the front door hard enough to rattle the windows, too, for good measure. He peeked out the curtains long enough to make sure she got in the Whelp's car, the dragged his tired body down to the basement to crash on the cot in the corner. These were the days he thought Summers women would be the death of him.

-------------

Dawn was the first back to the hospital, since she got out of school at 2:30. She signed the book, put on her visitor's sticker, and headed for Buffy's room. She was unpleasantly surprised to find her sister still asleep, and with a breathing mask on her face. Dawn paged a nurse and waited for an explanation.

_This isn't right. This isn't good,_ Dawn thought, pacing the small room. Her sister should be complaining about the bad food by now, not lying there so still. There was a knock on the door, before a doctor came in.

"You're related to Miss Summers? I'm Dr. Janoff."

"You're not one of my sister's doctors."

"I'm on-duty on this floor, so for now, I am. Please, have a seat…"

"Dawn. Dawn Summers."

"Well, Dawn, your sister developed a little fluid in her lungs overnight, accompanied by a mild infection, so we're giving her oxygen to help her breathe more easily, and antibiotics. This isn't that uncommon after major surgery, so I don't want you to be alarmed."

"But, why isn't she awake, at least?"

"Your sister has slipped into a mild coma. It's her body's way of conserving her energy while it fights off the infection. The faster that happens, the faster she'll wake up again."

"She _will_ wake up, though, right?"

He flipped through the chart. "She seems to be responding well to treatment so far. I'm sure it's just a matter of time."

"She can hear me, still, right? That's what they always say about coma patients on TV…"

"She can, Dawn. Tell her anything you like. The voices of loved ones are often therapeutic. Now, unless you have any other questions, I have other patients to see…"

"No…go ahead. I just want to be alone with her."

He nodded, and left quietly. _Poor kid._


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Dawn stayed until Xander showed up with Giles. She still had to head home before dark if she was going to walk. At least her boss understood about letting her have this week off. And her teachers weren't pushing for homework, either. She had until Monday to finish what was normally due Friday.

So, walking along, Dawn wasn't in any rush. She pondered her destination, wondering if she should look for Spike at home, or his crypt. Looking up at the sky, she figured he was probably still at the house, and turned her feet in that direction. His voice rang out as soon as she closed the front door.

"Bit?"

"Yeah, it's me. Hey, do you think I should open these bills? I don't want to lose the power while Buffy's in the hospital…" She held one up that said 'Late Notice' on the front.

"Get the Watcher to handle it. Did you stop to see her? If not, you better have a damn good excuse for being so late."

She rolled her eyes. "Geesh, get a grip, Hall Monitor. Of course, I went to the hospital. I came home when Xander and Giles showed up." Dawn continued sifting through the mail, tossing the ads in the recycling bin.

"And? Did you talk to your sister?"

She sat down wearily on a stool and looked up at him. "No, Spike. She's not talking right now. She's in a coma. And I'm trying to deal by focusing on the doctor saying it's only temporary, okay, so please don't freak?"

"A coma?" he whispered, dropping onto the seat across from her.

"More like deep, restorative sleep, is how he made it sound. She's fighting off a mild infection. They're giving her all the drugs and stuff for it, I guess. I mean, she just had big-time surgery. We can't expect her to be up ready to kick ass, right?" Maybe she should have just let him find out when he went to see Buffy tonight. He looked honestly scared. "Spike, hey…it's not the end of the world, okay? Buffy's going to get through this."

_Knock, knock._

"Sit tight. I'm going to get that." Dawn opened the door, to find two policemen standing there. "Uh, hi. Can I help you?"

"You live here with Miss Summers?"

"Yeah, I'm her sister, Dawn. Is this about the guy that shot her?"

The policeman who'd spoken nodded. "We caught Warren Meers at his mother's house today. We wanted to let you folks know that you're safe now. How is your sister?"

"Fighting for her life, but getting better. I hope you prosecute that bastard to the fullest extent you can manage," she said venomously.

"Oh, he's going away for a long time. In searching the house, we found a diary where he admitted killing another girl a few months ago. That, plus the armed robbery and attempted murder charges on your sister…well, he'll get what's coming to him."

Dawn grinned. "That's the best news I've heard all day. Thank you, officers."

"Have a good day, miss. Keep indoors at night, now…"

"Always do! Bye!" She shut the door and turned around, beaming. "Did you hear that, Spike? The Trio is finally all in jail!"

"Yeah, Niblet…it's pretty good news. I hope they decide to fry the bastard. A quick death is too good for 'im," he stated bitterly.

"Hey, you've gone all bumpy." He looked apologetic, and shook off his game face. "You want breakfast?"

"I ate before you got home. Couldn't sleep well…" Spike admitted.

Dawn's gaze turned compassionate. "She's awfully good at worrying people, huh?"

"Pet, you have no idea."

-------------

Another day, and then another, where Buffy was breathing better and had a normal temperature, but still did not wake. Giles was starting to make rumblings of bringing in a specialist. Willow was contemplating a spell to contact Buffy's mind. Tara suggested a healing charm, which was really just a prayer to a goddess that might help. Dawn was okay with that, but she didn't want anyone poking at her sister or invading her privacy, and she was pretty sure Buffy didn't, either.

Three whole days with his Slayer in the hospital (not counting the morning she was admitted) had Spike in a nervous tizzy. With another night passing without his Sleeping Beauty waking up, he was considering the Prince routine and laying a good one on her. And possibly that he was really low on sleep.

Corinne found him in Buffy's room around 3a.m.

"Visiting hours ended at eight, you know."

"I'll just sneak back in again," he replied, not turning around.

"No change?"

"None," he sighed. "There's no reason why she shouldn't be awake already…"

"Maybe this is her version of a vacation…from the stories, a Slayer rarely gets a break," she suggested

He smiled, but there was no humor in it. "Maybe. I'm starting to think the witch's idea of going into her head might not be a bad idea. Buffy has a history of avoiding…"

"You guys can really do that?"

"Red did it before. Dawn had been kidnapped, and Buffy just…shut down. Lights were on but nobody was home. I never understood that, you know. She'd never given up before, but when Glory took the Bit, the Slayer gave up. Like Dawn was already dead and there was nothing she could do. Once we got her back, the death wish was plain as day in her eyes. She didn't expect to come out of it, even if she saved the day. Was even ready for it. It's how every Slayer should go out, you know? As a hero, in battle…"

"She's not dying now, Spike. Her body is healing every day."

"And it's an empty shell without _her_ in it. If Buffy doesn't want to come back, there's nothing we can do," he countered. He sounded so resigned.

Corinne walked over and made him look at her. "Hey, the Buffy I met was trying to live, okay? She has you to come back to, and Dawn. Plans got interrupted the day she was shot, yeah?"

"Yeah…how did you know?" he asked suspiciously.

"Because that's what always happens. And if Buffy hadn't any plans in her life that day, at all, then it would have been her hand on the trigger. She wouldn't have been doing normal things like going out with friends, or whatever. Yeah, she'll wake up on her time, but she's going to wake up. So, stop being so mopey, and start giving her some incentive."

"Oh, like what?" he asked sarcastically.

Corinne shrugged. "You're the one who knows her. Try to sleep today, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah…"

------------

Another day passed, and the Scoobies started thinking about supernatural causes. The group assembled around the research table in The Magic Box, like old times, and passed around theories.

"Maybe someone should talk to Warren," Anya finally suggested.

"I don't think he's casting spells in jail, honey," Xander said.

"No, but he could make a wish, or ask for a curse. You just need to know the right demon to call upon."

"Well, that can't be _that_ many, right?" Willow said hopefully.

"Try over two-thousand. In this dimension alone," Giles replied.

"Oh."

"So, who's making the wanker talk?" Spike asked, from his perch on the stairs.

"You're all just being stupid!" Dawn cried. "Buffy's not awake because she doesn't want to _be_ here!" She stormed out of The Magic Box, the bell tinkling angrily as she slammed the door.

"I'll make sure she gets home," Tara stated.

"She's right, you know," Anya added. "None of us has wanted to acknowledge it, but we've all seen it. Buffy's been looking for a way out ever since we ripped her from heaven. Warren's just given her the excuse."

"I still say we look at the supernatural," Willow said stubbornly. "She was getting better."

"Yes, it can't really have been that bad, Anya. Buffy would have called," Giles added, dismissing his partner.

Spike snorted in response and decided to leave before he gave away anything the Slayer would want to tell her Watcher herself. The Scoobies had always blinded themselves to what was right before their noses. Why should now be any different?

He set out on his nightly patrol. Spike would hit all the cemeteries, shake down Willy for information, then go spend the rest of the night with Buffy. It wasn't the most exciting unlife, but he would talk to her, and make sure she was safe from any demons that might want to take advantage of the Slayer's weakness. Then, he'd head back to the Summers' house before sunrise, catch a nap until he heard Dawn puttering around, and make sure she got off to school. Collapse for the rest of the day, and lather, rinse, repeat.

Something had to change.

-------------

Two days later, change came…

"I've decided to take Buffy back to England with me. The Council has a private facility where she will get the best care, including research for any mystical causes," Giles declared to Willow and Xander.

"You really think that's necessary, G-Man? And what about Dawn?" Xander wondered.

"I think it is. The Hellmouth needs its Slayer, and I have more resources in England, and a Coven to call upon. With all luck, we'll be back in a couple of weeks. You all can watch after the girl until school is out," he said assuredly.

"Giles, do you mind if I come? I feel guilty for not being there that morning, and I want to help. Maybe I can learn some things, too," Willow offered.

"If you can take direction and not alter any spells, I'd be glad to have your assistance, Willow."

"Oh, I'm much more focused now! Tara's helped me find my center, and I'm trying to remember that control of everything isn't well…everything. I didn't understand the need for balance before, but now I do. I just want to help," she insisted.

"Very well. I'm going to make some calls. If you'll excuse me." Giles disappeared into the office of the shop.

"I don't think Dawnie's going to like being separated from her sister, Wills," Xander stated.

"Well, she doesn't really have a choice. Buffy would kill us if Dawn doesn't finish the year out. She can always come to England after finals, if we're not back, yet."

--------------

"You're WHAT?" Dawn exclaimed.

"Taking Buffy to England for more expert care. It's all been arranged. Dawn, it's only temporary."

"You're stealing my sister away, to the _Council_, and I'm supposed to be happy about it?!"

"It's for the best, dear. Buffy's condition goes beyond the medical. We have the best coven on Earth, right in Devon. This is her best chance of making a full recovery," Giles explained.

"Fine, then I'm coming along."

"No, you have a school semester to finish. Dawn, this is non-negotiable. You're staying here with Tara until school is out for the summer."

"And if Buffy's not back by then?"

"Then we'll work out other arrangements. The time will pass by before you know it. I have a plane to catch. Willow, I'll see you soon." Giles stepped out of the way to allow the orderlies to wheel Buffy's bed out of the room. A private ambulance had been hired to take them to the airport to meet up with the Council jet.

"I can't believe you're not even giving me time to say goodbye!" Dawn cried. "Buffy's going to be so pissed when she wakes up. I hope she kicks your ass!" She took off after the orderlies, determined to walk with her sister out of the hospital.

Tara shook her head in disapproval at the Watcher, before going after Dawn. She didn't agree with how they'd gone about this, at all.

------------

A sobbing teenager landing on his chest awakened Spike.

"Niblet? Wha's wrong, luv?"

"Buffy's gone. He took her," she cried.

"Gone? Who took her? Dawn, what happened?!" he asked, panicking.

"G-Giles…he t-took her to England to some c-coven…! I hate him! I do…" She curled up against him as Spike slid around to sit up. "She's going to be pissed, you know? Waking up in another c-country…near the Council…he said I have to stay in school. How can he just do this?"

"I don't know, Bit. Probably some Watcher loophole giving him the authority. Has the plane left, yet?"

She nodded. "Uh-huh…they were going right away…" Her voice turned spiteful. "Willow's going, too. Sees it as some kind of learning opportunity. Why couldn't they just leave us alone?"

"I offered to eat them once, for your sister. She turned me down, but it did get a smile out of her. We'll make do here, okay? And if I have to, I'll mount a rescue mission and take you and your sister far away. Deal?" Spike promised.

"Okay." She sniffled. "Sorry for getting your chest all wet."

He chuckled, and ruffled her hair. "'S just skin, luv. A little saltwater won't hurt."

"Good. You're kinda comfy."

They sat that way, comforting each other, until the sun had set and both of their tummies were rumbling for food. Tara greeted them with a soft smile when they came up from the basement, and hugged Dawn. For the next few weeks, they would be family.

-------------

Corinne was surprised to find Buffy Summers' room empty when she checked in the next day. She flagged down a nurse.

"Was Miss Summers discharged?"

"Uh, yes, ma'am. She's been transferred to another facility. I hope they can find out what's wrong with the poor girl."

"Thanks, Lettie." _This is odd._ Curious, she decided to hunt down Spike once her shift was over.

It was obvious at the crypt that he'd been stopping in, but hadn't slept there in days. Corinne tried the Summer's house next.

"Hi. Dr. Larkin, right?" Tara said, when she answered the door.

"Good memory. I'm looking for Spike, actually."

Tara moved aside. "He's in the dining room with Dawn."

Spike looked up, surprised, at the sound of extra footsteps. "Hey, Doc. What's the occasion?"

"I noticed Buffy's room is empty…"

"Ah…that. Her Watcher decided she'd get better care in England. Shipped her off yesterday afternoon." His eyes flashed gold as he tried to rein in his anger.

"Her Watcher?" Corinne asked, confused.

"Watchers guide the Slayers – the book man behind the killing machine," he answered bluntly.

"Oh. He had legal consent for that?" she said, bewildered.

"When the Council makes it that way," Dawn replied. "They make it their business to control all aspects of a Slayer's life."

"I guess you could say we're not exactly fans," Tara put more gently. The other two snorted in unison.

Corinne just took it in stride. "Uh…huh. Okay. So, now what? You wait for him to bring her home?"

"For now. Niblet has school to finish, and bills still need to be paid…" He got up from the table to let Dawn finish her homework. The ladies joined him in the living room. "It's been a rough week, but she's hanging in there. Kid's had to grow up too fast in her young life."

"At least she has people watching out for her," Corinne said. She stuck her hand out to Tara. "I don't think we've officially met. I'm Corinne."

"Tara. Have you lived in Sunnydale long?"

"A little less than 2 years. I just came up to work at the hospital. I'm originally from San Diego."

"I moved here for the university, just finishing my 3rd year. How did you meet Spike?" Tara liked the aura of the young doctor. The figure was nice, too.

"Let's just say that Doc lent me a hand. If you ladies don't mind, I need to go kill some nasties," Spike interjected. He nodded politely in farewell, grabbed his coat, and left.

"I fixed him up after he got beaten up," Corinne said quietly. "The poor guy could hardly see. He's not too proud of needing the help home."

"That sounds like Spike," Tara confirmed. "He likes to pretend he doesn't have any softness inside. I pretend that I haven't seen it, but we both know, and any one seeing him with Dawn can tell you it's obvious. Would you like to stay for dinner? Spike will probably be gone for a few hours."

"I don't have any other plans. Do you need any help?"

"Nah, I'm just heating up a casserole from last night. I'm a vegetarian, but Dawn usually pours meat sauce over it," Tara replied, winking at the teen.

"That sounds fine. Normally, it's just me, so I'm either grabbing fast food or microwaving something."

"So, how come you didn't come visit Spike for a while?" Dawn asked.

"Dawn, don't be nosy," Tara chided the girl.

"How do you know I didn't?" Corinne replied.

"Cuz he stopped mentioning you. And Spike's a motor mouth," the teen said smartly.

"Just took different paths for a while, Dawn. Life happens that way when you get older," said Corinne. "I really don't know him _that_ well, from just a couple of months."

"I'm sure your hours make it hard to socialize," Tara added.

"Very true. It changes every week. They like to make it hard on us 1st-years. Silverware?"

"That drawer. Dawn, could you get some glasses, please?"

"Sure, Tara. Well, at least the food's better when Buffy's not here," she quipped. "My sister is scary in a kitchen. It's funny – she kind of freaks out faced with normal tasks. You ask her to cook or drive, and she becomes a complete spaz." Dawn set the glasses on the counter and got a soda out of the fridge for herself. "Spike's not too bad at it, though."

"Spike cooks?" Corinne asked, surprised.

The teen nodded. "Simple things, like grilled cheese sandwiches or pasta. I think he's spent a lot of time watching cooking shows during the day. It's amazing what weird stuff he'll remember. Don't let him season stuff for you, though!"

"Oh, gosh, I remember that! _Way_ too many hot peppers!" Tara chuckled. Dawn giggled at the memory.

"See, Spike got the burr up his butt last summer to make tacos…and it was supposed to be, like, a _pinch_ of cayenne for the whole batch, right? Well…he samples it, doesn't taste the spice, and keeps stirring it into the meat until he can!"

"Xander's face was so red! He looked like he would either suffocate…"

"Or explode! He yelled at Spike that he did it on purpose…_of course_…but we just laughed. It was the first time he'd really gotten me to laugh since my sister…Well, I really needed it."

"He is quite a character," Corinne confirmed.

It was easy to like these two, and the evening gave her more insight into Spike, as well, with their perspectives. Making emotional contacts seemed unavoidable now, so Corinne was just going to deal with it. She knew that her co-workers thought her nice, but detached, and that was fine…but if she was going to be honest, she missed having girlfriends around. They were a luxury she hadn't afforded herself since high school, not having the time in college due to the pursuit of high scores. So, when Tara said she could drop by for dinner any time, she didn't hesitate to say that she would.

--------------

Giles had called once to say that Buffy had made the flight over safely and was resting comfortably at the coven, and then he just sent letters every couple of days to note their progress.

Spike spent longer and longer out every night, taking out his frustration on the Sunnydale demon populace. Sometimes he slept at his crypt, sometimes at the house. He'd paid the bills for the month (the girls didn't ask where the money came from), and could only reliably be found when it was time to check Dawn's homework, or make sure she was studying for her finals. Tara got letters from Willow about how excited she was to study with the coven, what new spells she was learning, what book she'd read today for Buffy-research, but rarely a mention of missing home. She supposed a week might not be long enough, yet, and that once the excitement died down, Willow would write more sentimental thoughts. Dawn cut back her hours at the mall to only two days a week, at Spike's request. The teen was keeping more for herself, anyway, since she didn't have to buy her own food anymore. Corinne came over on the nights she wasn't working, too. Tara and the doctor had started an on-going discussion about alternative medicine with herbs and roots, and their specific uses.

Two weeks gone by, and Spike wasn't sleeping well. Three weeks, and he was starting to lose weight and color. By the forth, Corinne decided it was intervention time. She found him in his crypt, looking disheveled, unwashed, and bony. He hadn't even undressed to go to bed, just taken his boots off and fallen wherever he could land. She shook her head, climbed back up the ladder to make some blood and grab a wet sponge, and came back down to wake him.

"Spike! Get up and stop wallowing! You smell like a distillery and look like hell."

"Good evening to you, too, Doc," he grumbled, turning his head to the side, but still lying face down.

"Come one, get up. I've got food for you."

He rolled over, scowling. "Fine, fine…I don't need your doctoring, you know."

She arched a brow. "Really? Because you're obviously not eating, or bathing."

Spike sniffed his shirt and wrinkled up his nose, then shrugged. "It's a lifestyle choice."

"Bullshit. You're just wallowing because your honey's not here. Would she want you to do this to yourself? Do you think it sets a good example for Dawn?" Corinne thrust the mug at him. "Drink. Then you're going in the shower, even if it's clothed."

He took the mug, but didn't drink, yet. "You this bitchy with all your patients?"

"When it's the only thing that'll get through their thick skulls, yes! Drink!"

He grumbled unintelligibly and lifted the mug to his mouth, gulping it down in almost one pass. "Wait…what's in here?"

"Half human, half pig. You're skin and bones, practically. Now, shower, and then you're drinking another."

"Wha's the sponge for?"

"Just in case you wouldn't wake up just from me yelling at you. Up, now!"

"You know, all this orderin' about would be more of a turn-on if you had a whip," he snarked, moving towards his shower alcove.

"I'll think about that next time if I have to do this again!" she yelled.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The phone rang on Dawn's first day of summer vacation. "Summers, etc residence."

"Etcetera?" The voice on the other end chuckled.

"Buffy?" Dawn whispered.

"Hey, Dawnie."

"Oh, my god…we were beginning to think you'd never wake up! When are you coming home?"

"Well…are they looking after you well? What were your grades from finals?"

"They haven't come in the mail, yet, but I felt pretty good about them. So? Are you okay?"

"Physically, yeah. Mentally…there were a lot of weird dreams. I woke up, well, yesterday, for me, so I haven't had much time to sort it all out. You know Giles…he had to have a doctor come out here, and a seer…he worries worse than Mom did. Dawn…it's so peaceful here, and…I need some time, okay? Will you be okay there a while longer?"

"Yeah, I guess…Tara cooks, and Spike's here, too. And Corinne comes by a couple times a week for dinner and movies. Xander took me to school, of course, but we're out, now, so I'm getting more hours at my job again. I went shopping this morning and got a new bathing suit, and some jeans, and some cute tops. Oh, and these really cute sandals! And I got you something, too. I guess I can send it, now that you're awake. Spike really misses you, Buffy. He's been going kind of crazy."

"I can imagine. Tell him I'm okay, okay? I just need some time, while I can take it, and Giles and I need to reconnect, too. He's even encouraging me to stay at the Coven for a while, so I know he must have been worried. What kind of Watcher gives their Slayer time off, huh?"

"I don't know, but if this is what you really need…"

"It is. It's best for everyone, not just me. Can you trust me on that, Dawnie?"

"Well, you're not giving me much choice…"

"I'm sorry. I know this has to have been rough on you. Say hi to Xander and everyone for me. I need to go. Giles will kill me if I run up too much of a bill. Love you."

"Love you, too."

_Click._

Dawn set the phone back on its cradle, not sure how to feel. Or which feeling to feel first. It was so confusing! She was glad Buffy was okay, mad at her sister for taking a vacation without her, sad that she couldn't be there when Buffy woke up, worried about how Spike would take the news, and on and on… It wasn't fair. Well, at least her sister had sounded more life-like. And even further, that she cared. It was progress, even if it was on the other side of the world.

--------------

"So, she's not coming back."

"Not right away. She's taking vacation time, since she's already in England," Dawn replied again. She'd called a Scooby meeting at the house, figuring it would be the easiest way to tell the info once.

"What if an apocalypse pops up?" Xander asked.

"Then they'll probably be on the first plane. I don't have all the answers, Xander. I've just been telling you guys what she told me!"

"Did she mention Willow?" Tara wondered hopefully.

"Nope, just Giles. Sorry, Tara."

"We should take a trip, too, Xander. Maybe to Aruba, or the Bahamas. Cuba used to be fun, once upon a time," Anya suggested.

"We can't afford that, Ahn," Xander replied automatically. "Won't it get bad around here again, if word gets out the Slayer's gone all summer? Last year – not so much with the fun."

"Well, you could always try breaking Faith out of prison," Dawn snarked. "Don't you think my sister's done enough for the world that she's earned a little time off? No one said she's going to be gone the whole summer. It's still June."

"Skipping off for months is a Buffy specialty. I'm just saying, we should be prepared in case all Hell breaks loose," he countered.

"Whatever. No one's asking you to patrol, Xander. Spike's been handling it fine all on his own," Dawn replied.

"Harris has a point, Bit, much as I'm loathe to admit it. The Slayer needs to back up her reputation, and you can count on it that every demon's noticed her absence. Glinda – do you think you could erect a glamour in some of the cemeteries on occasion? Just to make it look like Buffy's walking around and paying attention…" Spike pointed out.

"I can help with that," Anya said.

"I-I guess it can be done," Tara replied. "It takes a lot of concentration to make it move, but I think I can do it. Willow would have a much easier time with it."

"I have confidence in your skills, pet. Just do the best you can."

"Well, if that's everything, I need to be on site tomorrow at 5 a.m.," Xander stated, getting up.

"Yeah, I'm done," Dawn said. She started to go upstairs as the Harris' left.

"Not so fast, Niblet. You have chores to finish."

"Spiiiiike!"

"You're mother didn't raise you to keep a dirty house, and Tara shouldn't have to do it all. You don't have homework as an excuse anymore, so get your butt down here and pick up a vacuum, or something."

"Yes, _sir._" She stomped back down the steps, pouting.

Tara grinned at Spike as she carried the dirty dishes into the kitchen.

As Corinne pulled up to the house, she saw the two girls through the windows, so figured she'd find Spike in his usual after dinner spot. She took a moment to admire him in the summer moonlight as the vampire sat on the back porch steps, smoking a cigarette and gazing up at the stars.

"Enjoying the night air, or moping?" she teased, sitting next to him.

"I don't mope. Just thinkin'." He took a final drag on the cigarette, then ground it out with his boot.

"Uh-huh…so, what are you 'thinkin'' about?" nudging him with her shoulder.

"Buffy called Dawn today," Spike replied, emotionless.

"Well, that's great! Isn't it?" She grew concerned that he wasn't smiling over the news.

"She doesn't want to come home, yet. Slayer decided to take advantage of the setting and have herself a vacation," he replied, still staring out into the darkness.

"Ah, I see…and you're out here pouting because she didn't ask you to join her, right? Spike…you can't hang your entire world on one girl. It isn't healthy, for either of you. You've gotta start living your life again."

"I do plenty," he protested, getting up to leave. Corinne stepped in his path.

"Spike, I worry about you, okay? Your entire mood has been wrapped up in what Buffy Summers is or isn't doing for months now, and…I miss you."

"I'm right here, not hard to find, Doc," he responded, exasperated.

"No, I've missed _you_," she said, poking his chest. "The Spike who watches old movies, and laughs, and argues about politics with me. The Spike who bothered to have fun. The one who was real. What do _you_ want for your life, huh? Not what anyone else says you should, but _you_…what kind of life will make you happy? I think you started on that path the night I patched you up, but you forgot it again."

"I don't know, okay!" he yelled. "Practically everything I've done for over 100 years has been about some woman or another, so I don't know…I don't know how else to be, Doc. If you're the great expert, then you tell me."

She stepped forward, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Oh, Spike…that's not what I'm here for," Corinne said softly. "You're a smart, creative man. I just don't want to see you limit yourself to being Buffy's lapdog. You're so much more than that. How about trying to show Dawn what's out there this summer? That wouldn't be so hard, right?"

"No…and the girl needs to keep her mind off missing her sister. Buffy's not the only one with abandonment issues…Dawn's had it worse."

"Exactly, so between everybody, we should come up with some fun stuff. Nothing too extravagant, of course, but outside of Sunnydale. We all need some time out of this town, don't you think?" she strongly hinted, stepping out of his space again.

"Understatement of the year, pet. Sorry for snapping…"

Corinne smiled indulgently. "You're stressed. I get it. But you don't have to bottle it all up, okay? I'm here, and Tara will listen, too, if you give her a chance…"

His head dropped, sheepishly, as he scuffed his boot in the dirt. "Yeah, I know. It's not a habit that comes easy for me, not since my mum…"

"You'll have to tell me about her someday," she encouraged.

Spike's eyes clouded over with some long-ago memory. "Perhaps."

"Gonna come in?" Corinne asked, climbing the steps. She could see Tara and Dawn moving away from the curtains.

Spike shook his head. "Got patrol. Make sure Glinda locks up for the night. I'll probably crash at my crypt."

"Okay. Goodnight, Spike."

He nodded, melded into the shadows, and disappeared.

------------

"Don't you two have better things to do than eavesdrop?" Corinne asked, as she entered the house. She turned the deadbolt on the back door.

"Nope! It's summer, now, and I'm bored," Dawn replied, grinning unrepentantly.

"I only looked out there when I heard Spike yell. Never know when the house might be attacked," said Tara, busying herself with drying the dishes. "We've tried telling Dawn to snoop, but it's never sunk in, so I've given up," she sighed.

"Well, I don't eavesdrop on Xander and Anya anymore. Ewww!"

"I'll bet. So, I heard Buffy called?" Corinne asked.

Dawn's face fell, before she smiled again. "Yeah, she did. She's says she's okay physically, but she wants some time with Giles, and to rest, or something. She didn't say how long she'd be, only that the coven was a peaceful place." Her face darkened, as she thought about it. "Personally, I don't think she's coming back."

"Of course she will, Dawn! Your sister loves you," Tara assured.

"She does, but she loves not being on the Hellmouth more. You didn't hear her voice, Tara, how she sounded so relieved to wake up not here. She barely even asked how things have been going! And if she lets Giles teach her stuff, he's not going to make her come back, either. She gets to pretend she's a traditional Slayer with no attachments, and he gets to make up for skipping out on her. You'll see I'm right, Tara. It's going to be months, if she ever comes back at all." Dawn finished her piece, then ran upstairs, loudly shutting her bedroom door.

"Poor kid," the doctor said sadly.

"Yeah, and she's too old for us to lie to and say it's all going to be okay. I fear she's right, only about Willow…she writes about learning this or practicing that, but…" She shook her head sadly.

"There's no room for you? I'm sorry, Tara. If she can't see how amazing you are, then she doesn't deserve you. Willow doesn't know what love is, if she can get distracted from it by shiny things."

"Thanks," Tara said gratefully. "I know that she loves me, but magic, for her…well, it fills a void that I can't touch, and it shouldn't be in, but…she has to figure that out for herself. We've been through a lot, so I hope that she does… Well, we're all having to grow up this year, aren't we?"

"Truly…I suggested to Spike that we try to get Dawn out for some fun over the summer. Day trips, or something. Anything that gets her out of the house," Corinne added.

"I think that's a good idea. Care to watch a movie? I can make popcorn." Tara grabbed a bag to toss in the microwave.

"Sure. I have the next two days off, so no bedtime."

-------------

The next day, Corinne stopped by Spike's crypt wearing a big grin.

"Spike! I've got good news. You won't believe who called me today. This is just perfect timing!"

"Yay. Can it wait a few hours until I'm awake?" he mumbled, pulling the covers over his head.

She pulled them back. "No, silly! So, my dad calls, and guess who he wants to house sit?"

"Lorne Green."

"Ha, ha. Anyway, he's going away for a week, wants me to watch the house, and doesn't mind if I have a friend or two over to keep me company."

"That's great, luv. Have fun," he muttered, and tried to pull the covers over his head again.

"Spiiike! The house is down in _San Diego_. We can give Dawn her own vacation!"

"Good idea, have fun. I'm going back to sleep." Spike burrowed down under the comforter.

"Well, I was going to invite you along, too, but if you really want to stay here by yourself for a week…"

He sighed, and uncovered his head. "Does he keep good booze?"

"Not that I know of."

"Bah. Take Glinda, then."

Corinne rolled her eyes. "I'm leaving on Sunday, if you change your mind." She tugged on the covers once more just to bug him, then left to tell the good news to Tara and Dawn.

-------------

"You can come, Tara, can't you?" Dawn pleaded, bordering on whining.

"I'll have to check with my boss. I don't normally get vacation time," the blonde witch replied.

"Well, room and board are covered, if it makes a difference," said Corinne. "Even if it's just the two of us, Dawn, I promise we'll have a good time."

"I'll do my best, okay, Dawnie?" Tara promised.

"It's cool. I know you can't always get out of responsibilities." She turned to Corinne. "So, we leave on Sunday? What time? How long will it take to get there? What should I bring? Did you ask Spike?"

"Slow down! Uh…yes, in the morning, about 3 hours, just casual stuff, and yes, but I don't know if he'll come. That answer everything?"

"Um, yeah. Will there be any cute boys around?" Dawn asked next.

The ladies grinned. "I have no idea. The house is by the beach, though."

"Ooo, what's it like? Is it big? Is it pretty? How close to the beach?" Dawn kept firing off questions as Corinne's eyes widened.

She looked to Tara, who just stifled a giggle. "Good luck with that," Tara murmured. She grabbed her purse and left to run some errands.

"_Dawn!_ Give me a chance to answer each question, okay? To sum it up, the house is fairly good size, pretty nice, and close enough to the beach to walk there. I haven't been there in a couple years. It's just my father and stepmother there, now, so there are three guest bedrooms for the taking. If Spike comes, he'll have to take a couch, or two of us will have to double up. Oh, and I need to feed the dogs, 2 Labradors. They're the reason my dad wants someone to stay at the house, since my sister is at college out of state."

"I always wanted a dog. Buffy said it would just get eaten. How old is your sister?"

"20. She's studying to be a teacher. She's actually my half-sister. My father got re-married 2 years after divorcing my mother. He gets to say his daughter is a doctor, and I visit on Thanksgiving and Christmas."

"I get cards from Dad's secretary. You can tell because the writing is different than his signature. But, at least there's money with them. He's probably the poster child for 'mid-life crisis' by now," Dawn sighed.

"When is your birthday?" Corinne asked.

"In August. I'm one of the youngest in my class, which makes me one of the last to do anything cool. I turn 16 this year, but I doubt Buffy will let me get my license, even though _she_ doesn't drive. It's so not fair," the teen pouted.

"What's not fair, Bit?"

"Hey, Spike! You're here early, and you missed Tara. She just went to the store. I was telling Corinne how Buffy probably won't let me get my license after my birthday. I _can't_ be a worse driver than she is!"

"Ah, give it a chance, Bit. I'm sure you can succeed at anything you put your mind to," he teased, eyes twinkling. "Nothing like a run through the sewers to get the blood moving, figuratively speaking."

"Did somebody spike your blood today?" Dawn asked suspiciously.

"Other than burba weed? Nope. Clem dropped off the money he owed me, though. Annnnnd…something for you. But you're going away this weekend, so you probably don't want it now," he said coyly, keeping his hands in his duster pockets.

"Spiiiiike! Gimme, please?" She started chasing him as he ran backwards around the kitchen island. "Spike! You can't just tease me with that, and then not tell me!" They ran through the house, Spike always dodging out of her grasp at the last second. They all new she had no chance of catching him if he didn't want her to, but the game of pretend was fun for both vampire and girl.

He vaulted over the sofa, then stopped with his hands up. "Okay! Sit, and I'll give you your pressie."

"Promise?" she asked dubiously, hands on hips.

"Scouts' honor. Sit."

Dawn arranged herself comfortably on the sofa and held out her hands palms up.

"Close your eyes…"

"Spike!"

"Just close 'em, Niblet!"

She scowled and closed her eyes firmly, waiting. Something soft and fuzzy with a bit of weight landed on her palms. Dawn's eyes flew open, and she squealed in delight. A tiny striped kitten with blue eyes blinked back at her, looking nervous.

"Ooooo! Aren't you the cutest?! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Ohhhh!" She cuddled the kitten close against her neck and cooed. "It's so soft! Is it a boy or a girl?"

"I didn't stop to ask the particulars, Bit. You can check out the smelly end on your own. You like it, then?" he asked hopefully.

"I love it! I've never had a pet of my own before. Such pretty deep blue eyes…" Her attention was solely on the kitten again. Spike rolled his eyes at the predictability.

"You did good," Corinne complemented, as Spike walked to the fridge to get a beer. "'Course, that kitten's going to need supplies and vet visits…"

He sighed. "I know…but 's worth it to see her smile like that. And the Slayer won't turn it out once it's been living here for weeks."

"Method to your madness."

"Somethin' like that."

"Can I take the kitten with me, Corinne? It's too little to leave at home all alone!" Dawn called from the living room.

"Only if we're all going. My dad will kill me if his house ends up smelling like cat pee."

Spike looked apologetic. "Sorry, not the best timing, I know…" he murmured.

"Hey, it's still a cool gift. Don't worry about it," she said, her voice more private.

-------------

Tara couldn't come for the whole week, so she was going to follow Corinne down in her car. Spike still hadn't committed one way or another, so Corinne gave him the address and left it in his hands to show up on his own time. Since Tara was going back to Sunnydale Monday evening, the kitten was shut in the bathroom with food and a litter box…and toys. He (as it turned out) was now named Tigger. It took them an extra hour to get Dawn out the door because of her fussing over the little fur-ball.

Corinne took the coastal route along Hwy 1, which eventually merged into Hwy 5 in Orange County. As they got into San Diego, they left the freeway and wound through the streets towards a gated community set above the ocean, and eventually parked in front of a beige two-story house with a perfectly landscaped front yard.

"You didn't tell me your dad was rich!" Dawn exclaimed.

"He's not. He's just an accountant. Trust me, most of the money went into the house. My sister's at college on scholarships. Grab your stuff. I need to shut off the alarm as soon as I open the door." Corinne went ahead while Dawn emptied the trunk. She beckoned them in once it was safe. "Oh! Shoes off. Sorry…it's my stepmother's rule. Why she insisted on light-colored carpet, I'll never know…"

"Wow, it's pretty…" Dawn enthused, looking around. Rich colored sofas and dark wood furniture accompanied the cream carpet. The contrast was vibrant.

"The bedrooms are upstairs. Take your pick. The bathroom up there is huge, so I don't think we'll have a problem sharing. The kitchen is this way." The coloring was warmer in the kitchen, with honeyed cabinets and earth-toned tile. The girls were stuck at the windows facing the backyard.

"They live at the beach, and yet, they have a pool?!" Dawn stated, amazed. She couldn't stop staring at the miniature lagoon.

"Hey, I never said they were practical," Corinne quipped. "Cabinets and refrigerator are fully stocked, so eat whatever. Just make yourselves at home, guys. I need to reacquaint myself with the pooches."

"Ooo, I wanna see!" Dawn exclaimed, and followed Corinne outside. Tara shook her head, chuckling, and took her bag upstairs to unpack.

Two large black Labradors were enclosed in a pen at the side of the property. They started barking, spinning, and jumping excitedly on sight of the girls.

"That's Max, and that's Bear. Don't let them sneak past you. They'll go straight for the pool, and the hair clogs the filter."

"How can you tell them apart?" the teen wondered. "They're the same size."

"Max has the notch out of his left ear, and his voice is different. And Bear is actually heavier." Corinne quickly slipped inside the gate and held up her hands. "Hey, guys. I've got cookies!" The dogs sat down on their haunches and looked up expectantly. Bear was wiggling. They took the large cookies and scurried off to their houses to lie down and chew.

"Wow, they're actually really well behaved," Dawn remarked.

"Yep, obedience classes, and everything. If someone has a leash in hand, that means they get to go running on the beach. That's part of our duties for the week. Let's head back inside and unpack, okay? Then we can figure out what we'll do for the rest of the day."

Tara had taken the first bedroom at the top of the stairs, so Dawn took the middle one, and Corinne the last, which was also the biggest. It was formerly her sister's room. The bedrooms were much homier and more relaxed than the rest of the house, with soft colors and even softer bedding. Dawn smiled as she noticed the half view of the ocean out her window. She put on a bathing suit under her tee and shorts, just in case, then walked out to meet the other two. Tara had changed into a long, flowing skirt. Corinne wasn't out, yet.

"Can we come in?" Tara asked, knocking on the partially open door.

"Sure. I'm just putting some stuff away. Nice view, eh?" The back wall was mostly one, large picture window, looking out at the sparkling sea.

"No fair! You knew this was here," Dawn pouted.

"Finders keepers," the doctor teased. "You were ahead of me on the stairs, you know. You could have taken this one."

"Aw, phooey!"

------------

They ended up having lunch and some leisurely shopping at Seaport Village for the afternoon, and grilling dinner at the house in the evening. After dinner, the trio had brought out some board games, and played and giggled until Tara got sleepy. They all decided to call it a night so they could get an early start in the morning, only Corinne found that she had the same problem sleeping in a strange bed here, as anywhere else she'd been away from home. She tossed and turned for an hour before saying, "screw it", and got up.

The young doctor changed into her bathing suit, grabbed a towel, and slipped out to the backyard after disengaging the alarm. Her father hadn't turned off the heater before leaving, so the pool was still relatively warm. She chose the temperature she wanted, then dove in, powering across the length with long strokes. Focusing on the rhythm of her body, counting when she should breathe, it became easy to block out all thoughts and lose herself in the exercise. After 20 laps, Corinne paused to catch her breath and hung on the wall and looked up at the moon and stars. She was deliciously warm from both the exercise and the heated water, it was the middle of the night, she was alone…it seemed to be the perfect opportunity for a little indulgence. She left the pieces of her suit on the deck next to her towel and slipped under the water again.

So it was a complete surprise to discover she wasn't alone anymore when Corinne stuck her head up out of the water at the opposite end of the pool. She squeaked and hid behind a fake boulder jutting out from the side of the pool.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed.

"You invited me, remember? Didn't expect a show when I arrived, though," Spike replied, rocking on his heels and grinning evilly. He arched a brow as his eyes glanced down at her discarded suit. "Swim in your birthday suit often, luv?"

"No! I thought I'd be alone. Go away!"

He took a few steps around the deck towards her position, just to tease her. "Nah, I don't think I want to do that, just yet."

"Would you please go away? How did you get in the house, anyway? I didn't invite you in."

"Didn't come through the house. Heard the pump humming and came through the gate over there. Figured someone was up, but…" Spike leaned over, playing like he was trying to look around the boulder. "I don't see a spot where you can climb out over there, Doc. You're gonna have to come this way, sooner or later."

"Later's fine! Like, when you're not _here_!"

He pulled a deck chair over and sat down, legs sprawled. "I like it out here. Nice night. Think I'll sit a spell."

"_Spiiiiike!_ " Corinne growled in warning. "This is not funny!"

Sparkling eyes regarded her. "Oh, I think it's quite funny, Doc. Might be the most amusing situation _I've_ seen in a while!"

"You are _evil_! I could call for Tara, you know."

He nodded thoughtfully. "You could…but I don't think you will. If you wake poor Glinda, the Niblet's sure to follow, and then you have an embarrassing situation on your hands. But, then again, you might just want your towel more than your dignity…it's a toss-up." Spike grinned when she pouted.

"I hate you right now," she said petulantly. "Please go away?"

"Getting cold?"

"A little…"

He sighed, and stood up. "Very well. I'll go back out front and let you get out. Sure I can't get a peek?"

"Out!"

His rich laughter filled the night as the vampire walked away. Once Corinne saw him go around the corner of the house and heard the gate open, she quickly swam across the pool. The fiend had taken her suit, but at least he left the towel. She managed to get out without flashing anything indecent, just in case he was watching from the shadows. Just for that, he could sleep in his car!

Corinne locked the back door, turned out the lights, then waved at him out the front window before sneaking off to bed. Spike smiled, and shook his head.

_Touché, kitten._


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

When Corinne woke up in the morning, she took pity on the vampire and opened the garage door so he could drive into the safety of the dark. She walked outside to tap on the window and wake him up. Spike was sprawled uncomfortably in the back seat of the old cruiser. She could just make him out through the smears of paint on the windows.

"Hey, Spike, you can come in now," she said loudly, and heard his head hit the roof as he sat up suddenly.

"Bloody hell…"

"The garage is open. You can come in now," she repeated. Thinking that he'd figure it out soon enough, Corinne went back inside to make breakfast.

She shuttered the blinds on the windows so he could come in safely, then set to work frying some eggs. Spike came through the garage entrance a few minutes later with a duffle bag and a cooler, looking thoroughly disheveled, and sleepy.

"Good morning," she said brightly. "Where's my suit?"

"Hanging on a nail in the fence. Where can I sleep?"

"Tara's not up, yet, so I guess you can take my bed. I need to close the curtains first, though. Don't let my eggs burn." Corinne jogged upstairs, drew the curtains over the picture window, made sure nothing personal was in plain sight, and hurried back. Spike was leaning against the counter, falling asleep on his feet. "Go on up, Spike."

He grunted and shuffled off. Spike kicked the door shut behind him and dropped the duffle bag on the floor, toeing off his boots and shrugging off his duster. His clothes were left in a pile on the foot of the bed, before he slid under the soft sheets and sighed in pleasure. This was much better on the back. Pulling the covers over his head, he was surrounded in a dark cocoon of Corinne-scent, a mix of fruity hair products and spicy perfume. Where Buffy liked to bathe in scented concoctions, the doctor preferred a light touch, smells subtle to human perception, but intoxicating to a vampire. Before his love for the Slayer had made him treasure everything about her, he'd often thought that she layered it on a bit thick. He'd thought the dumb blonde either couldn't tell she was suffocating those around her, or didn't care. But, that was before, of course…

The smell of food soon brought Dawn downstairs, and she sat down at the table just as Corinne set an omelette down.

"Good timing," she teased the teen.

"Mmm," was the answer, as she dug in without preamble.

"Morning!" Tara trilled, coming in with her usual good mood. "Did you both sleep well?"

"Mmm-mmph," Dawn replied. "That bed is sooo comfortable!"

"I slept well, once I got to sleep. It always takes me a while in a strange place. What would you like to do today?" Corinne asked them.

"The zoo would be cool," the teen suggested. Tara nodded that it was okay with her.

"That'll work well, then. Spike can join us in the evening for the night exhibits."

"Spike's here?!" Dawn squealed. She got up to go look for him.

"Dawn, he's sleeping, remember? I don't think waking him up at 8 o'clock in the morning is a good idea, sweetie," Tara stated.

"Oh…yeah. Vampire hours suck."

-------------

Armed with sunscreen and souvenir money, the three girls were soon on the road for the short drive to the San Diego Zoo. It was one of the most extensive zoological parks in the world; an all day experience to cover in entirety. Corinne left directions along with a note for Spike on top his cooler for him to join them if they weren't back by sunset. She had no idea if it would be his 'cup of tea', but for Dawn's sake, the offer had to be made. It was unfortunate that summer kept him indoors so long.

"There's so much to see! Where do we start?" Dawn said excitedly.

"Wherever you want. There's the tram tour, or one of the shows, or we could just walk…"

"Oooo, a gift shop!" Tara and Corinne rolled their eyes as Dawn dragged them into the store not ten feet from the entrance.

Keeping up with an excited teenage girl on her first trip out in quite a while was exhausting, and Tara and Corinne were grateful when she got hungry and wanted to stop for lunch.

-------------

Spike never called to say he was coming before they needed to head back so Tara could drive home. They found him in front of the TV watching football on one of the ESPN channels. When Dawn accompanied Tara upstairs, Corinne cuffed him upside the back of the head.

"What the hell?" he squawked.

"Nice going, _Spike_," she hissed.

"What the bloody hell is your problem?"

"You're my problem! Dawn was very disappointed that you never showed up tonight," she continued to whisper.

"Doc, I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Did you even _read_ the note in plain sight?!" she retorted.

"_What note_?" he growled, unhappy to be forced on the defensive. And he was missing the Man U game.

Corinne rolled her eyes. "The one right on top of your blood. I thought vampires were supposed to have keen senses? I left directions for you to meet us at the zoo at dark. They have night exhibits. I _knew_ I should have called…" She sighed in exasperation and stomped upstairs to see if Tara needed anything.

_Wonderful, a week of making it up to touchy females._ She knew as well as anyone that he was on autopilot until he'd had his first mug of blood in the evening. Well, at least since sleep had become more elusive. Today was the first he had slept all the way through in blissful, dreamless oblivion. It was fully dark before he even started gaining awareness. Discovering he was alone in the house after filling his stomach, Spike had taken advantage of the peaceful quiet by flipping channels until he found the game on.

"I changed the sheets, Spike, so you have a clean bed to sleep in for the rest of the week," Tara stated.

"Thanks, Glinda. Make sure you take Harris or Demon Girl with you on patrol, or even Clem. He's scarier than he looks. Call if you get in a bind."

She smiled at his thoughtfulness. "I will. We'll be fine, though. It's only 5 days. I'll, uh, call if there's any other news, too."

"This late, you can take the 5 all the way back," Corinne interjected. "It's shorter, and there won't be traffic."

Dawn bounded down to hug the witch. "Let me know how Tigger is doing, okay? He was probably scared today."

"I will. I'm sure he's fine, Dawnie. Well, enjoy, guys. I had a lot of fun. This was really nice." She hugged the girls again, then, on impulse, embraced the vampire, too. "Bye."

The blonde waved as she drove away. Corinne closed the door and headed into the kitchen to make dinner for her and Dawn. Spike followed, after a moment of indecision. He heard Dawn change the TV channel in the living room and inwardly cursed. The doctor ignored him as she began chopping vegetables.

"You gonna give me the cold shoulder all night?" Might as well be blunt.

"Maybe."

"You know, Bit doesn't seem that upset. She's well known for the teenage tantrum," he pointed out.

"And?" Still more chopping.

Spike put his hand on her wrist, stopping her actions with the knife. "Is this about last night? It was just a harmless prank. I didn't mean to offend your sensibilities."

She met his eyes, finally. "You didn't."

"Then, what's the problem?" he asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"I guess there isn't one. Can I have my hand back?" she replied evenly.

Spike released it, sighing. It was clear he wasn't going to get anywhere with her mood. He joined Dawn in the living room; taking the remote back and changing the channel back to the game. Corinne served the teen, then went outside to tend to the dogs. Being alone was easier.

-------------

She stood in the dark, looking out over the cliff at the ocean. The sliver of moon visible reflected off the waves. Corinne didn't hear him approach, but she sensed when he stopped behind her.

"I thought standing in the dark was my gig," he tried.

"No one said it was exclusive," she replied, not turning around. Corinne tensed for a moment as she felt his hands on her shoulders.

"What's wrong?" Spike asked, puzzled.

"Nothing," she sighed. "Just ignore me."

"You're always trying to get me to share. I thought that was a two-way street." His breath on her neck as he spoke caused goosebumps to rise. His hands slid over her bare arms. "You're cold."

She stepped out of his touch. "I'm fine. The breeze is nice. I'll be back in, in a while." Corinne stepped off the edge to take the hidden staircase down to the little beach below.

Spike followed, not so easily dismissed. "What is with you today? What did I do that was so bad, huh?"

She whirled around on the narrow step. "Nothing! I just want to be alone for a while. Do you mind?"

"Yeah, I do. You jumped down my bleedin' throat tonight, then wouldn't be in the same room with me. Dawn isn't even upset, so why is this bothering you so much?"

"I don't know. It just did. I promise it'll be better by morning, okay? Satisfied?" Corinne turned and continued jogging down the stairs.

Her foot broke through the wood plank, but she barely had time to gasp before she was hauled back against a firm chest as Spike caught her around the waist. If she'd tumbled down those stairs…

"Easy, now," he murmured. "I've got you."

Her heart was pounding like a timpani drum in her ears, so it had to be deafening to him. She couldn't say what she was reacting to more, though – the near fall, or her proximity to the vampire. They had very little room to maneuver, so he would have to start back up to the house first.

"That was…interesting," she panted, looking down at the rocks that lined the beach.

"Are you alright?" Spike still kept hold of her as he leaned against the cliff wall so they could both stand on the step.

"Mmm-hmm. Good catch."

He chuckled, sending vibrations through her back. "You go first, in case I need to catch you again."

_So he can stare at my ass._ "Yeah…" Corinne started back the way they came, stepping lightly and quickly on each step. Getting up to solid ground, she plopped onto the grass and flopped onto her back. "Ahhh, Mother Earth…"

Spike laughed at her antics. "That'll teach you to run away from me," he teased.

"I wasn't running! I just wanted to be left alone," she pouted. "You weren't letting me do that up here."

"So, your almost plunging to the depths was my fault?"

"Yep," Corinne replied, popping the 'p'.

"Crazy chit. Get up, before Dawn comes lookin' for us." He extended his hand to help her up.

"Yeah, yeah…" They got back inside to find Dawn engrossed in a movie. "Oh, she's _real_ worried," Corinne muttered. No matter. They could do whatever they wanted. She was going to bed.

Except that a vampire was following her upstairs. "Where are you going, luv?"

"To bed. It's been a long day," she sighed.

"This early?" he said, disappointed.

"Yeah, Spike. Good night." She closed the bedroom door firmly in his face and locked it. Closing her eyes as she leaned against the door, Corinne let the strong façade fade away, and a single tear coursed from each eye down her cheeks.

A slight brush with death was upsetting. Being so close to the man you wanted was even more unsettling. _Get a grip! He's off limits, a friend…and he loves someone else._ She needed to focus on making the week fun for Dawn, and just being normal. Spike would chalk up her mood swing to being just a female thing, and that would be the end of it. _Yeah, if he hadn't spent the last century and a half reading people!_ Corinne changed into her pajamas and slipped into bed, only to notice that her pillow now smelled like him. 'Gee, this'll lead to fun dreams,' she thought sarcastically.

-------------

"Whatcha watching, Bit?"

"I don't know. It looks like something Mom would have watched, though. The people are familiar." She turned to the vampire. "Where's Corinne?"

"She went to bed. Did you run her and Glinda all over town?" He sprawled onto the loveseat adjacent to the sofa, where she sat.

"Just around the zoo. The tiger exhibit was really cool! They can actually come all the way down to the glass. That's a really big cat in person! And we saw pandas and polar bears and snakes and…well, I took lots of pictures. And went kinda nuts at the gift shops…" she replied excitedly. "You shoulda seen it. I want to go to the Wild Animal Park and Sea World, too, this week. Have you ever touched a dolphin, Spike?"

"Can't say that I have, Niblet."

"They say it's like wet rubber." The phone rang. "Oh! That should be Tara…" She scrambled to pick up the phone, leaving Spike with the remote.

He passively listened to their conversation while flipping channels. Tara was reassuring the girl that her kitten was perfectly fine. His thoughts wandered again to wondering what Buffy might be doing. So, yeah, he was bored, and after sleeping _all_ day, a bit hyper.

"Bit! Find a game or somethin'. I'm bored!" Spike hollered.

"I'm on the phone!"

-------------

Corinne stayed in bed until she couldn't stand being still any longer. No one had knocked, yet, so either Dawn was still asleep, too, or had found something to do on her own. She found Spike asleep on the couch in front of the TV, the set still on. He didn't stir when she turned it off, so Corinne continued on to the backyard to feed the dogs. Breakfast was cereal and milk, since she was the only one awake. Slumber was the only state when you could find the vampire completely still, save for the slow motion of breathing. It was one of the ways she best preferred to see him, with his face relaxed into boyishness and his hair escaping the gel to form little curls and spikes. Corinne also noticed that he still had his boots on. She'd forgotten to tell him about the no-shoes rule.

She decided to wake him before the room got too sunny. "Spike…" Kneeling on the floor, she tapped his chest to rouse him. Patted his cheek when that didn't work. "Spiiike…" _How is his skin still so soft?_

"Mmm…Buffy," he murmured, smiling in his sleep.

Corinne jerked away like she'd been shocked. _That's a douse of cold water._ Water…she went to the sink and wet her hand enough so it would drip, then flicked the drops at his face. He twitched unhappily, and opened his eyes.

"Doc?"

"It's morning. You'll want to get off this couch soon if you don't want to be a pile of dust." That stated, she retreated to her room to change clothes.

He grumbled and shuffled off to bed.

--------------

She was doing laps in the pool again. Focusing on the rhythm meant she didn't have to think, and Dawn was a big girl, so she'd only be interrupted if the teen wanted to go somewhere. _30 strokes, turn…30 strokes, turn…1, 2, 3, 4, breathe…_

-------------

As they went in search of dinner that night, Dawn couldn't help but notice the tension in her doctor friend. She didn't convey it in her words or voice, but it radiated from her posture. The same kind of square-ness to the shoulders that her sister carried when bracing for a fight. Corinne was on the defensive, and she didn't know what had caused the change. Spike hadn't seemed to notice, unless he was doing that silent observe-y thing. She tugged Corinne into the bathroom while they were waiting for a table.

"Relax, okay? You're giving me the wiggins," Dawn said.

"What are you talking about? I'm fine."

"Uh-huh. You look like you're waiting for something to jump out at you. Just chill, okay? If we're nice, Spike will do that chivalrous thing and pay for dinner." The teen fluffed her hair, then walked back into the hall.

Corinne looked in the mirror and grimaced, conceding that the girl was right. Part of it was due to exhausting herself in the pool, though. Her shoulders and arms were _sore_. She shook her limbs loose and put on a smile. She loved this restaurant. Her uncle took her here for seafood every time they had a day out. The halibut was always perfect.

"Good timing, Doc," Spike commented, just as the hostess approached them. They were escorted to a table in the back, with a view of the ocean as the sun dipped below the horizon. A couple's table.

Spike pulled out Dawn's chair for her, to which she giggled. Corinne seated herself at the same time, so he sat down across from them. She was content to let the teen babble on, focusing on the menu, her drink, the view…anywhere but at his eyes. The vampire had a way of looking at you like he was seeing all your secrets. _Why couldn't Tara have gotten more time off?_

Spike couldn't help but notice that Corinne was distracted. She gave the standard polite responses, smiled at Dawn's stories, but she just wasn't…_engaged_. He cornered her back at the house while Dawn was putting away the leftovers.

"Do you not want me here?" he asked quietly, mindful of the teen.

"What? Of course not. I wouldn't have asked you to come if you weren't welcome," she replied.

"Then I don't get it. You've been…odd."

"Odd? Well, that's a nice description," she snapped, whispering.

Spike rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean!"

"And you think you've known me long enough to know the whole Corinne-catalog? As if." She stalked off towards the kitchen, where it was safe.

Growling in frustration, Spike went outside for a smoke…or several.

Corinne coaxed Dawn into joining her for a soak in the Jacuzzi while he was gone. She sighed blissfully as the hot water enveloped her sore muscles.

"Ohhh, that feels good!" The jets were doing wonderful things.

"So, what are you and Spike fighting about?"

"Huh? We're not, sweetie," the doctor replied, her eyes closed.

"Please, I'm the product of divorced parents! I know the sound of adults trying to argue without alerting the kids."

"There was no argument, Dawn. Spike was just being…annoying. I promise, I won't let anything ruin your vacation."

"Okay…"

Corinne was almost asleep, later, when she got splashed. "Hey!" _Oh, god…_ Instead of Dawn sitting across from her, there was a shirtless, and now wet, Spike. She turned her head to see Dawn lazily swimming the backstroke in the pool.

"Don't want to fall asleep and drown, pet," he replied. He puffed at his cigarette and blew the smoke away.

She closed her eyes again, willing the image away. _Don't look, don't look…_

"I can see why humans like these things so much. All warm and cozy," he remarked. "Bet you could have some fun with these massaging jets, too.

"Eww, Spike!" Dawn exclaimed.

Corinne willed her mind to drift again, their banter becoming background chatter. The next time she was nudged awake, she actually growled.

"Go away," she said grumpily. Reluctantly opening her eyes, she found that Dawn was gone and Spike was sitting beside her. "Where's Dawn?"

"Inside. She said she was getting 'pruney', whatever that means. I've been watching to make sure you don't go under, since you insist on sleeping in a hot tub."

"I haven't been sleeping, just drifting…the heat feels good on my muscles," Corinne explained. She swam to the other side, well, pushed over, since her butt had basically gone numb.

"Have I picked up some repulsive disease you haven't told me about?" he asked.

"Huh?" she replied, playing dumb. It was his _lack_ of repulsiveness that was the problem.

"You skitter off every time I sit next to you, Doc. Kind of gives a bloke ideas," Spike replied plainly.

"I do not! Besides, it's not like we're cuddle buddies."

"Look, I don't know what I did, but can you please stop being mad at me?! I don't bloody like it!"

"I'm not mad!" she insisted.

"Sure as hell act like it, Corinne! I've felt like I have to walk on eggshells since I got here!" He was running his hands through his hair, a sure sign of agitation. She really didn't mean to alienate him.

She stood and crossed over to him. "I'm sorry," Corinne said more softly. "I'm kind of jumbled up, and it's not your fault." It wasn't his fault that he looked so kissable when he was being earnest. It wasn't his fault that she felt more than she should.

He looked up at her with those deep blue eyes. "Anything I can do to help?"

She smiled a little, wishing there was. "Nah, not really. Just personal stuff. I'll get over it." She had to.

"You're sure…" his forehead getting that cute little crinkle between his brows.

"Yeah," she sighed. "Forgive me for being a bitch?" she added with a grin.

He poked her belly, delighting in seeing her squirm away. "Always. You're my Doc." Simple as that.

_I_ am _yours_, she thought. _But you're hers._

------------

Corinne sucked up her courage and just tried to act normally the rest of the week. Having so much fun with Spike and Dawn was both joyous and painful for her. She knew it was only a matter of time before the Slayer came back to reclaim her family, and they would be focused on Buffy. She was merely solace in a tumultuous time.

Corinne took Dawn around during the days, then Spike would join them as soon as it was dark enough. They explored the Wild Animal Park, enjoyed the Shamu at Night show with the fireworks, took pictures in the photo booth at the pier, and ate around the city until they were stuffed. For one week, Dawn was just a teenager looking for fun, not a mystical Key, the little sister of the Slayer, or a girl that had already seen too much blood. It was the kind of summer she was meant to have, as a kid, and it was a blessing.

Their last night there, Corinne tidied up the house. They ate out so there wouldn't be dishes to wash. The sheets and towels would be tossed in the washing machine in the morning.

"Do we have to go home?" Dawn whined.

"Yep. I have work on Monday, and so do you. _And_, my family reclaims the house tomorrow."

"Cheer up, Bit. Maybe we can manage an L.A. trip before you go back to school," Spike added.

"Or Disneyland?" the teen asked hopefully.

"Even Mickey bloody Mouse. Doc is always up for another amusement park, right, luv?"

Her eyes widened. "It's your idea. I'm sure you can manage, Spike." Translated as: 'you pay!'

He chuckled and continued packing. Spike had to leave that night to beat the sun.

--------------

The next morning, Dawn alternated between complaints of going back to Sunnyhell, and excitement over seeing her kitten again.

Tara greeted them at the door, looking happier than she'd been in a month. They found out why, as Willow came out of the kitchen.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Willow!" Dawn said in surprise. "If you're here, did Buffy come back, too?"

"Not yet, Dawn. She's still working things out, but…I'm sure she'll contact you soon. Aren't you Buffy's doctor?" Willow replied, directing the last to Corinne as she came in behind the teen.

"This is Corinne, Willow," Tara said. "I was telling you about San Diego?"

"Yeah…how is it Dawn ended up with you?" Willow asked suspiciously.

"She's my friend, Willow," Dawn interjected. "Buffy already knows her, and she's been helping out while all of you have been gone. Just chill, okay?"

Willow's hazel eyes shifted to the defiant teen, assessing. Tara placed a hand on her arm.

"Sweetie, why don't you come in the kitchen while Dawn unpacks so I can finish bringing you up to date?"

The redheaded witch smiled at her lover and nodded. "Okay, baby."

Dawn sighed in annoyance and tugged Corinne upstairs.

"Sorry about that. Willow has a tendency to think she knows better than the rest of us. I hope she has news from Buffy." She set her bag on the bed, then noticed the postcard propped up on her dresser. "Oh!" There was a picture of Big Ben on the front, and a note from Buffy on the back.

_Hi, Dawn,_

_England isn't so bad in summer, but it sure rains a lot. Giles took me into London when he had to visit the Council. I did touristy stuff, as evidenced by this card. Stuff is really old here…it's weird, like, way older than even Angel. I feel very American._

_Anyway, I feel okay physically, but I'm still sorting out what are real memories, and what I dreamed while in the coma. It's kinda wiggy. Hey, my scars are nearly gone – go Slayer healing! We're all curious to find out if my kidney will grow back._

_I miss you. You probably haven't believed that, but I do. You're stronger than me, though, so I'm sure you're doing great. Give hellos and hugs to everybody for me._

_Love, Buffy_

"Good news?" Corinne asked.

"More of the same. She's not ready, yet." The teen sighed, and set the card on the dresser. "You're still going to come by, right? Tara's gonna be busier…"

The doctor stepped forward and put her arm around the girl's shoulders. "You're not getting rid of me unless you want me gone, okay? You've kinda grown on me."

Dawn blushed at her insecurity. "Thanks. It means, you know…a lot."

-------------

"…So, I'm here to keep the Hellmouth safe while Buffy does her thing," Willow finished saying.

"It sounds like you've learned a lot that will be useful. I've been running a glamour around to keep the demons thinking Buffy is still in town. I don't know how effective it's been. I guess we'll find out when Spike gets the gossip from Willy's."

"He's been around a lot?" Willow asked.

"Well, Buffy did ask him to look after Dawn. We can trust him, Willow. It's obvious that he loves Dawn. He's really been there for her during Buffy's illness."

"I guess…it's just, he's still a vampire, you know? Not so much with the moral compass and more with the short temper."

Tara smiled. "He's more tolerant than you might think. Dawn can try anyone's patience sometimes, but he seems to always know the right thing to say to her. I've gotten to know him, while everyone's been away. Just give him a chance, sweetie."

"Alright," Willow said grudgingly. "For you."

------------

"So Red's back, eh?" Spike replied to Corinne's news. "Have to say I'm half surprised, from what Glinda's relayed of her letters."

"Yeah, I know…I guess Buffy asked her to watch over the town while she's away. She's supposed to be powerful, right?" she asked.

"Oh, Red's wicked powerful…probably more potential in that skinny body than you'd find in 10 average witches, but her problem was controlling that. We better hope that she's learned better, for all our sakes," he replied ominously.

Corinne shivered at the seriousness of his tone. "You make her sound pretty scary."

Spike's features softened, picking up on her unease. "'S good to be cautious. But, as long as she's with Glinda, the good Wicca will keep Red in line. She knows Tara will walk, if she starts down that path again," he said reassuringly.

"So, we're betting on love, then? That makes it even more scary." Corinne stood to pace, feeling she could process, think better, while moving.

His head tilted, considering. "You don't have faith in love?" he asked curiously.

Corinne met his eyes. "I have faith in certain people, not love. Feelings are real, but they're not accurate, and making a relationship work…that's not about 'love', by most people's definition of the word. It's about work and actions, not _feelings_. So, if they're not committed to staying together beyond how they _feel_, then yeah, I find that really scary when it comes to mystical power," she responded passionately. "I treat people every day for human-caused injuries…normal happenstance. Science, math…they're reliable, constant. A person having the power to defy the laws of physics? I don't know how to deal with that. What happens when she has a fight with her girlfriend, or it's that time of the month, or other normal stuff that piss people off? I trust Tara, because I've been around her long enough to see her character, her self-control. I don't know Willow…and there should be a system of checks and balances when a person holds that much power…"

Spike stepped up, stopping her pacing and making her look up at him. "Hey, easy now, luv." His cool hands on her arms made her skin burn. "This all just occurred to you now, didn't it?" he gently teased. "There's no need to panic, Doc. Red did have judgment issues, but she's not a ticking time bomb. The Watcher wouldn't have let her come back without supervision if that was so. He can be blind as the proverbial bat sometimes, but the old git knows the consequences of traveling on the dark side. Besides, you know I'd never let her hurt you, right?"

"If you could help it. You're only one guy, Spike," Corinne reasoned. She sighed, anxiety deflating. "But thank you. This world you live in is just a bit to take in sometimes." _That's scary, too._

He nodded, understanding, and looked down at his shoes. "I have to admit, it still surprises me sometimes that a human girl wants to hang around a vampire like me. It's a bit against the natural order of things…you, Dawn, and Glinda being kind to me. Joyce, too, when she was alive. I keep thinking you'll catch me in my true face and run screaming," he muttered.

She raised his chin with delicate fingers. "Show me?"

Spike's eyes scanned her face, but he only saw curiosity, and trust. His features shifted, the brow ridges becoming prominent, eyes golden, teeth jagged and pointy. A predator designed to tear into flesh. He waited for the expected disgust or fear to enter her expression and averted his eyes. _Buffy never liked me like this._ Not expecting her touch, he shivered when her warm fingertips grazed over his forehead.

Corinne found him still beautiful, in a savage way. She'd seen him like this once before, when he had been hallucinating, but that event hadn't given her time to really look. _Almost lion-like._ She lifted her hand to feel the ridges, fascinated by the shifted bone structure. The doctor idly wondered if anyone had ever x-rayed a vampire in game face. He shivered, almost imperceptibly, but wouldn't look at her. She wanted to demonstrate her trust, so she tilted her head up and ever so lightly brushed her lips against his, just for a second.

"I'm not running," she whispered warmly. Golden eyes met hers, reflecting awe and gratitude.

They might have stood there in the moment indefinitely, if Clem hadn't chosen that minute to come in the door.

-------------

Willow and Tara took the patrols of the cemeteries, leaving Spike to hunt in the seedier parts of town, or in the sewers. If Willow went out alone, she took the Buffy-bot (it had been stored in her parent's garage, as she couldn't bear dismantling such a sophisticated piece of technology), always putting it away again before coming home. The others didn't need to know it was functional.

Dawn got her learners' permit. Corinne took her out for lessons, since Tara's car was a manual, and Spike wouldn't let her near the Desoto. Something about "spongy brakes and wet-around-the-ears drivers". Once she turned 16 in August, she could take the test and get a provisional license. Spike felt it was an excellent idea that she knows how to operate a car in case of an emergency…as long as he didn't have to be a part of the learning process. He'd sat in the backseat all of five minutes during her first lesson, before demanding they pull over and let him out after the teen almost hit a telephone pole. Personally, Dawn felt he was being a big baby about the whole thing. (Secretly, Corinne thought he was nervous because he wasn't in control of the car. Spike was a terrible 'backseat driver'.)

For reasons not quite clear, Willow made a point of not spending time around the good doctor if she could help it. Maybe she didn't like outsiders, maybe she was doing it out of some weird loyalty to Buffy…Corinne didn't know, but it was clear the witch didn't like her. It dramatically reduced her time with Tara, which was disappointing. They had gotten to be good friends in the task of looking after Dawn – the only female friend she'd bothered to get somewhat close to since moving to Sunnydale. Since Spike didn't like Dawn out at night without an adult, Corinne was often the teen's company while the others were out fighting demons. The hospital had given her more stable hours, since she was moving into R2 status.

Coming out of the movie theater on one such evening, Dawn and Corinne were confronted by a vampire in the parking lot.

"Well…don't you two look…yummy," it said sinisterly. Corinne pushed Dawn behind her and palmed the teen her keys.

"Really? Because I had a whole bunch of onions on my burger tonight, so I'm thinking…not so much," she defiantly quipped. Her hand slid slowly into her bag to grab her taser.

"Ooo, spunky! I like that!" it growled, and started prowling closer.

"Dawn, start moving, slowly," Corinne muttered, very quietly. If she could keep his attention, then the girl could get to the nearby car. "I've seen badder," she taunted the vampire. He lunged for the doctor, who shoved Dawn away.  
"Go!" she yelled, as it tackled her. She tried to taser it, but he pinned her arm down against the pavement. He sniffed at her neck, making her cringe as he practically drooled on her. Corinne struggled as much as she could, keeping her chin tucked down so he couldn't easily bite her neck. It just grinned at her.

"Corinne!" Dawn yelled, dropping the keys as she fumbled to unlock the car. She was struck with indecision on how to help more, then finally ran over and kicked the vampire as hard as she could in the side. Its focus turned towards her, rolling off the doctor and stalking the teen towards the wall. She gulped, cursing that she had left her bag, and stake, at home.

Corinne pressed the taser to its neck as it lunged in to bite Dawn. She grabbed Dawn's hand and ran to the car while it twitched on the ground. "Keys!"

"Ground!" Dawn pointed at the car. The vampire was starting to get up as they unlocked the doors.

It roared and punched the driver's side window, Dawn screamed, though it didn't break, and Corinne stepped on the gas. Once safely a couple miles away, she pulled in front of a Denny's and turned off the car. They were both panting and shaking.

"Next time, we make sure we have a stake," Dawn said breathlessly.

"Agreed. And we don't tell Spike about the window?"

"Oh, hell no! He'll lock us up for good if he finds out!"

"Right. I'll stop at the auto glass shop tomorrow."

"Okay. I think we need chocolate," Dawn stated emphatically. Corinne agreed.

--------------

A week after the first postcard, Dawn got another from Buffy, this one with London Bridge on it. It said nothing important, just that she was actually enjoying meditation with the coven, and had seen Stonehenge. Dawn tacked it up with the other one, further convinced that her sister wasn't coming home. And the thing was, she understood all too well why that would be. Sunnydale represented every painful moment of her sister's recent life. She lost her first love here, twice. She died here, twice. She lost her mother and gained a world full of burdens. Who wouldn't want to run far, far away from that? And the part of Dawn that knew she was just a created vessel, didn't blame Buffy for staying away. The other part, the part that was a continuously abandoned young girl, broke just a little bit further.

--------------

Two weeks later, Corinne was coming over for breakfast. The mailman was just walking up to the house as she was, so she accepted the stack and stepped onto the porch. On top, was a letter addressed to Spike, in girlish handwriting. On impulse, she stuck it in the back pocket of her jeans, and continued into the house.

"Dawn? Tara?"

"In here! Pancakes okay? The farmer's market had fresh blueberries," Tara replied from the kitchen.

"Oooh, yum!" Dawn stated, coming in. Corinne handed her the mail. "Bill, bill, bill, Delia's catalog, ooh – shoe sale at Steve Madden!"

"No!" the two women said simultaneously.

The teen pouted. "Why not?"

"You're saving for a car, sweetie, and you know it won't be safe on your budget to go look at shoes," Tara replied.

"Ah, you're right…it's a Summers' curse. We could all be Imelda Marcos, if we had the millions."

"Hey, '90s reference! Impressive," Corinne teased her.

"It was a Trivial Pursuit question. Xander and Anya are obsessed with that game." She snorted in disgust. "Gee, Willow's back, and suddenly, we see them again. I am sooo glad I got over my crush on Xander!"

All through breakfast, the letter felt like it was burning a hole in her jeans. Corinne had easily put two and two together about the sender upon seeing the feminine script combined with a UK postmark. Her 'good friend' side was saying give the letter to Spike as soon as he's awake later. The side jealous of his affections for the Slayer wanted to know what dangers lurked inside, and then to burn it. Was it a confession of requited love? Instructions for the Hellmouth? Asking advice for more tourist destinations? Her conscience screamed that it wasn't right to withhold the letter, or tamper with private mail. The dilemma plagued her all afternoon as she waited for dusk.

------------

"Spike?"

"Be up in a sec!" He climbed up a couple rungs of the ladder and hopped up to the main floor. "I wasn't expecting you for another hour. Just couldn't stay away, huh?" he said jovially.

The weeks since coming back from San Diego had been really good between them. As was his nature, Spike had adapted to the Slayer's absence, and had been gradually smiling more each day. It probably helped that he felt accepted for the first time in his long existence. He had three lovely girls that cared, and a best mate that always brought his favorite snacks and beer. The trinkets he found on dead demons usually paid for his blood and smokes, so his savings had only been touched a couple times to pay the Slayer's bills for the house that the witches' rent didn't cover. If he weren't love's bitch, he'd probably be feeling used for taking care of such things without so much as a thank you, but since he was, Spike saw it as an acceptable burden while Buffy healed. He wanted to see her happy. He wanted all his girls to be happy.

Which is why he frowned upon noticing the long face on Corinne that she didn't quite hide as he entered the room.

"What's up, luv?" he asked, concerned.

"I, uh, brought in the mail today over at Dawn and Tara's…"

"Okaaaay…"

"And, um…there was something for you."

He drew up short, surprised. "Oh. Well, I'll make a point of stopping by, then…"

"You don't have to…I took it with me…I didn't want Dawn to see, in case it's…Oh, here!" She thrust the letter into his hand, then whirled away to pace over by the door.

Spike looked at her, confused, until he looked down at the face of the envelope. He'd know that writing anywhere. "This is from Buffy," he murmured, in shock.

"Uh-huh," Corinne responded, nervously chewing on her thumbnail. She stopped pacing and announced, "I'm going to go, leave you in private to read that…um, yeah, I'll just…" She couldn't get out fast enough.

Her exit barely registered to Spike, as he stared at the envelope. Buffy had written _his name_. Sent him a letter all the way from the Mother Land. What could it possibly contain? A slight tremor in his hands, he pulled out a pocketknife and slid the blade under the flap, careful not to shred the envelope, and its contents. He withdrew a sheet of notebook paper and sunk into his armchair, nervous about unfolding it. After staring it down for what felt like forever, Spike got up, grabbed a bottle of liquid courage, took a swig, and unfolded the sheet of paper.

------------

_Dear Spike,_

_What a year, huh? From what I've gathered, it sounds like you've been taking good care of my sister. I knew you would keep your promise, but thank you, anyways. I'm sorry we didn't get to have that dinner, just the three of us. I had been looking forward to it. That's my life, though – I make plans, and the Powers That Be screw them up._

_Dawn said in her letter that you've been paying my bills. It's so unfair of me that I haven't thanked you sooner for watching out for my mother's house. God, I used you for months, and even when I don't want to, I still am. I've taken advantage of you, and unfortunately, I have to ask you for more._

_While I was in the coma, I had Slayer dreams – lots of them – and while I've been healing here, I've also been preparing. I won't go into all the details here, but it's bad, Spike. If what I saw comes to pass, well…it really wigged me out. I'm hoping, with this knowledge, than I can stop it before it gets bad, and so I can't come home, yet. Giles and I have a mission to protect the Slayer line…there are so many girls, vulnerable and unaware…Anyway, the Hellmouth is the least of our problems right now._

_I want you to make sure Dawn gets to my Aunt Irene's in Ann Arbor. The address is below. She's expecting her soon, before school starts. I need to know that my sister is far away from any Hellmouths or demon centers, and I know you'll come through for me. Tell her I'm sorry for making her move, and that I love her._

_After that, I hope you'll get yourself safe, too, or at least keep your head down. You've earned your freedom from my burdens. Please let Xander and Anya know that they should leave, or get Willow to do it. She knows what I'm facing and is the official guardian of the Hellmouth now, while I'm gone. The Council is even on board, that's how much they need me – how about them apples?_

_Wow, this letter is pretty depressing…um, I've seen lots of your country, Spike, and I'll admit, it's growing on me. Even some of the food, though you guys have some weird names for things! It sucks that McDonald's doesn't taste the same, though. Giles keeps hoping I'll learn to appreciate 'proper tea', but I'm still a Starbucks girl. Mmmm, vanilla lattes…_

_Oh, one last, tiny favor – could you send me the number for Angel's hotel, or have Willow email it to Giles? Now, before you get all growly, it's just so I can warn him to keep an eye on Faith. She's in danger, too, and she won't know it's coming. Thank you!_

_Well, Giles is bugging me again – it's time for weapons training. He's been insisting on being extra punctual the whole time here! I like California Giles better…(pout)._

_I hope I'll get to see everyone again, sooner rather than later. I'm in your debt._

_All my best,_

_Buffy_

_P.S. Don't die!_

-------------

Spike read through the letter twice, just to absorb everything. "Oh, luv…what have you gotten yourself in to?" he whispered sadly. Read the letter another time, more slowly. Brought the page up to his nose and inhaled deeply, capturing the scent of her skin.

There was a phone number along with the address for Aunt Irene below Buffy's postscript. He supposed he should call and feel the old bird out, before sending his Niblet away. His poor Bit – she was going to be furious that she didn't get a say in making this decision. Well, it could wait to tell her until he had a chance to speak with Glinda and Doc. Speaking of Corinne, he noticed clearly for the first time that she had scampered off as soon as she handed him the letter…which was odd. She usually made sure to say goodbye before leaving. His attention turned back to the various instructions Buffy had made. Thank god she didn't expect him to go tell Angel himself. _Their_ encounters only ended in bloodshed…

-------------

Closing the door of her apartment, Corinne slid to the ground and finally allowed the tears to fall. She wasn't a pessimist, but she expected the contents of that later to send Spike off to be with his 'lady-love'. He'd shared that they were getting on good terms right before the Slayer was shot, that they had even kissed and made plans to get together. Corinne thought that if Buffy had any sense, she'd beg Spike to stay by her side and never let him go…there was just something so rare about him. She cried until it felt like there were no more tears to shed, then gathered herself up and washed and ate. Life would go on, and she'd make a wager that Dawn was going to need their support again. Call it women's intuition, or whatever, but there was a change on the wind.

She looked into the bathroom mirror before leaving, making sure there was no trace of her tears, and her expression was schooled and impassive. Spike had had enough time to read it, so it was time to go back and see what needed to be done.

-----------

Willow called Angel's hotel as soon as Spike told her Buffy's message, but after receiving no answer, she did a quick locator spell and took Tara's car to L.A. to speak with Wesley.

Spike was grateful that Dawn was at a sleepover with her girly friends. It gave him the chance to talk with Tara about the best approach to telling her. Corinne quietly came in while they were in the kitchen. Tigger greeted her at the door, winding his little body around her feet.

"Hey, little rascal," she whispered. "Kill any bugs today?" He mewed and purred while she scratched around his ears.

"Corinne?" came Spike's voice. Damn vampire ears.

"Yeah. I'm with the door greeter." She walked into the kitchen, the kitten on her heels. He ambled to his food dish and started munching on kibble. Corinne hoped she looked more collected than she felt. "So, what's up?"

"The Slayer asked me to take Dawn to live with her aunt in Michigan. Doesn't feel it'll be safe on the Hellmouth much longer," he replied.

She blinked. "Wow…that's…not going to go over well."

Spike snorted and Tara nodded. "Tell me about it! She'll fight tooth and nail, especially because she wasn't consulted on the decision," he added.

"Why is it suddenly so dangerous now? What's going on?"

The vampire shrugged a shoulder. "Big evil. She was vague, which means they probably don't know much more than we do. Slayer dreams aren't to be taken lightly, though, so it has to be attended to."

"So, she's not coming home…" Corinne said slowly. They both shook their heads, Spike's eyes dimming. "Well, best worry about only what we can do. Um…if the move can wait until after Dawn's birthday, then she'll have time to adjust…and have a party with her friends. Turning 16 is huge for a girl."

Tara made the mental calculations. "That will give her about a week to settle in before school starts. They start earlier than over here, because of snow days. We'll have to get her school transcripts for her new school, too."

"Okay. What else?"

"Just to keep our heads down and get out of town if things go south. Slayer's not one for a lot of words, and she wrote like she was in a hurry," he relayed. Corinne noticed that he was being very business-like in passing the information, reining in however he felt about it. Which meant that he was probably going to explode in some way later.

"Are you going to go help her, after Dawn is at her aunt's?" she asked evenly.

A wave of emotion passed over his eyes. "I don't know, yet." He clenched and unclenched his fist in that way he always did when he felt helpless.

Tara felt the atmosphere thicken as her two friends exchanged careful words. Spike was clearly worried and trying not to be. And Corinne…Tara allowed her perception to slip into an alternate mode to view the doctor's aura and saw the heart-flare. Her smoky blue eyes softened in sympathy…_oh, sweetie_… It made very clear sense, now that she knew. The signs had been there for months. The good doctor was in love, probably more so than she wanted to admit. She excused herself when her cellphone rang.

Corinne stepped closer to him once Tara was out of the room. "How are you doing, really?" she asked quietly.

He expelled a ragged breath. "Worried, about a lot of things. You didn't have to leave earlier, you know."

"I wanted to give you some privacy. Who knew what would be in it, right?" she replied lightly, though the tone sounded false to her ears.

"I couldn't have expected her total trust, that's for sure. I'm not used to it, but…it's nice. I want to go fight beside her, but I'd probably only slow her down, if they're doing a lot of traveling…with my sunlight issues…Bloody hell, it's been so long since I've even seen her."

Corinne nodded. She'd been here the whole time to see his frustration. She wanted to smooth the crease from his brow, and make him smile again. Wanted to give him…_something_. Her hands itched to touch him, comfort him. She went with the impulse and squeezed his shoulder in a friendly gesture. He patted her hand with his and smiled at her efforts. Just a little.

"A lot to consider, right?" she murmured. "You could move with Dawn, or stay here, or go anywhere…if you don't have other tasks…"

"No, nothing else. The rest is Bit's call, I guess." Spike scratched the back of his neck, thinking. "Can't say I'm too keen on going to Michigan suburbia, but she'll probably insist on the company." He shrugged then. "Deal with it as it comes."

Thoughts skittered through her mind about checking hospitals for openings in Ann Arbor. The only things keeping Corinne in Sunnydale were the Key, the vampire, and the witch. A job was a job, otherwise.

Tara reentered the room. "That was Willow. Wesley's going to keep an eye on Faith. She'll be back tomorrow evening."

"Trouble in the City of Angels, pet?"

"Not really. She's helping him find someone. I'm sure it's just routine detective work."

"Well, are you still up for that movie?" Spike asked Corinne, referencing their earlier plans.

"I guess…are you sure you wanna go?"

"A couple hours of entertainment sounds bloody perfect right now. Glinda, you want to come along?"

Tara shook her head. "Oh, no, that's okay. I'm going to take advantage of an empty house and do some cleaning. You two have fun."

She shooed them out, grinning when she was finally alone. Three would have been a crowd.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Tara went to let Anya know what was going on the next morning, while Spike and Corinne waited for Dawn to come home. The vampire was drifting on the couch, trying to stay awake despite the full sun outside.

"I'll wake you when she gets here, Spike. It's okay to take a nap," she teased.

"I'm fine," he yawned. "I've been up during the day plenty o' times."

He started drooping forward as his body tried to succumb to sleep again.

"Oh, here!" she said, tired of him being stubborn, and pulled him over to use her lap as a pillow. "You killed things all over town last night on patrol. You _should_ be sleepy."

Spike made a face, then shifted to lie on his back with his feet hanging over the arm. "Ever been told you're comfy, Doc?"

"Once or twice." Her fingers itched to run through the curls on his head, so she stretched her arms along the back of the sofa. The vampire was soon breathing slow and even, his lips slightly parted.

Dawn's noisy entrance made them both jump.

"Hey, guys. Were you waiting for me?" the teen wondered.

"Um, yeah…Spike has something to tell you," Corinne replied, nudging the vampire. He stood and withdrew the letter from his back pocket.

"Might as well let you read this for yourself, Bit." She looked confused as he handed it to her.

Dawn dropped her sleeping bag and sat down in the armchair. Spike paced. Corinne's eyes flicked back and forth between them. They knew when Dawn reached the important part.

"WHAT?! Aunt Irene's? But it's cold there, and I have no friends! A-and she's kinda old. No, I won't go. You can protect me, Spike, just like you always have. Buffy's been gone long enough that she…well, she can just go screw herself. I'm. Not. Leaving." She folded her arms over her chest, glaring defiantly at the picture of her sister on the mantle.

"Bit…we don't know how long it'll be safe here…"

"So? We never have, and we still have two powerful witches, a master vampire, and an ex-demon with tons of knowledge on hand. Even before Buffy got in the coma, she didn't take care of me. Did the hero thing and saved my butt, yeah, but not _take care_ of me. You guys have done that…you, especially, Spike, ever since she died. I may not _legally_ be an adult, but I'm old enough to have a say in my own life. I say no," Dawn insisted.

Spike couldn't have looked more proud. He had been expecting a tantrum, and instead, she was debating this rationally with him. His girl was growing up.

"You're right, and if it had been my say, you would have been included in the decision, but your sister is still your legal guardian, luv. She has the right to decide for you right now."

"So we change that. Spike, my sister was never meant to be a caretaker. You know her personality; it's just not in her nature. She's good at the big protective gestures of saving the world, but she can't handle day-to-day crap for shit. She didn't baby-sit as a kid, she didn't coo over little babies in the grocery store…and she can barely take care of herself. Buffy would forget to eat every day if someone didn't remind her. Is that really who should be my legal guardian?"

He didn't know what to say. Part of him wanted to encourage her independence, like always, and the other part wanted to stick to Buffy's wishes, like always. Spike opened his mouth several times to speak, only to reconsider the thought. Corinne came to his rescue.

"Dawn, who would you choose as a guardian? Spike can't legally challenge it, since he doesn't legally exist. Judges don't take these requests lightly, and if your sister fights it, this could be a long battle."

"Well…what if I became emancipated, instead? I remember a story about that on the news where this kid had parents that just kept using him as a weapon in their divorce, so he got freedom from both of them. You guys, things haven't been stable since Mom died, until recently, and…I just want to hang on to that. Buffy…she doesn't know what it's been like…doesn't know how it's been, and considering she's only called me once, she doesn't really care." Mentioning her mother started the tears to well up, and her breath hitched as Dawn made her case. "Sending me to Aunt Irene frees her from the guilt of not being here for me…but my aunt is almost 70, guys. So, keeping up with a teenager? Not really going to happen. I…I don't think Buffy will push the issue, if I do this…she was already ready to give me up a few months ago, before she started trying to be less self-involved."

Spike sighed. "You sure don't take the easy route, do you, Bit? This emancipation…it won't be an excuse for you not to finish school, you know. I'm not about to let you become a layabout just because your sister can't tell you what to do." He looked at Corinne, who shrugged as if to say 'the ball's in your court'. "Alright, we'll look into it, if you're that serious, but don't get your hopes up! I'm only considerin' it because we have some time before you're supposed to be at your aunt's."

Dawn jumped up to hug him. "Oh, thank you, Spike! I promise, I'm still going to work just as hard. I just want to be able to stay around the people that care about me, you know? This means so much! I'm going to go online right now!" She grabbed her bag and ran up the stairs to her room.

The vampire rubbed his hands over his face and groaned. "The Slayer is going to kill me."

Corinne stood and placed a supportive hand on his shoulder. "Hey, maybe it won't be so bad. Maybe Dawn's right. She knows her sister. And hey, what can she do so far away, huh?"

"Curse me for all eternity," he deadpanned.

"Oh…well, we'd just have to find a way to reverse it." She grinned up at him, trying to lighten his mood.

"Ever the optimist, eh, pet? Bleedin' hell…I never imagined myself being _here_. She has so much faith in me, and I'm afraid I'm only going to disappoint her. Maybe I should just make her do what Buffy wants. The Slayer trusts me to get her some place safe. She's never put as much faith in me before as when it's about Dawn. Buffy could have asked any of her mates to do this…" Before he could talk himself into doubt too much, the doctor placed her fingers on his lips to interrupt.

"True, but that doesn't mean it's the best for Dawn. Let's allow the girl to look up all the legal speak and see how she still feels about it tomorrow, okay? If she wants to be treated like an adult, then we have to let her explore the options, see all the facts. Maybe she'll decide she's not ready for it, after all," Corinne said logically.

Spike gave her a grateful smile and tucked her long hair behind her ear. She thrilled internally at the contact. "You're right…thank you. Sometimes, I think you came into my life just to keep me calm," he mused. His hand was still there, his thumb brushing back and forth over the skin under her ear.

"Is that a good thing?" her voice almost a whisper.

The smile widened. "A very good thing." She saw his eyes flicker to her mouth, his head leaning down towards her a little, and waited…

His lips were just an inch from hers, when Tara coming through the door and back home broke the spell. Spike straightened and dropped his hand at the sound, turning towards the witch. Corinne glared at her friend from behind his back, crossing her arms in frustration. The blonde's eyes widened as she noticed the brunette's expression. _Ooops._

"Hey, Glinda. How is Demon Girl?" Spike asked. Tara's eyes flicked to the vampire.

"Um, fine. Business doing well, as usual. She said they'd stick around until the bad gets obvious. You know Anya…any excuse to make more money. How'd it go with Dawn?"

He grimaced. "She wants to be emancipated from her sister."

"Oh. That's not quite what we were expecting."

"Understatement of the year, pet. Bit went and grew up right before our eyes."

"Yep, no screaming fits or tantrums," Corinne added. "She's upstairs on her computer."

"Well, ladies, I'm going to catch some kip now that the excitement's over." Spike brushed a kiss on Corinne's cheek and whispered, "Thanks again, luv," before walking off towards the basement.

Her hand came up to the spot as she stared at his retreating back, mouth slightly agape. The doctor blushed and dropped the hand as Tara smirked at her.

"What's that look for?" she hissed defensively.

"Just enjoying the flustered look you're sporting," Tara teased.

"I was surprised, that's all," Corinne huffed.

"Uh-huh…how long have you been in love with Spike?" she asked quietly.

Corinne's mouth did drop then, as she stared at the witch. "Wh-what are you talking about? I-I'm not…"

Tara crossed the room and urged her friend to sit down on the sofa. "Corinne, it's okay. I happen to like Spike. You should tell him how you feel."

"Oh, no! No, no, no…I can't do that…he's in love with Buffy. I'd…it would just screw things up. He's my _friend_. It's…it's just a crush, and it'll pass…it has to…"

"Sweetie, Buffy's represented an ideal for him for a long time, and he has loved her, but he's closest to you. How long have you known Spike?"

"6 months on the 5th." She'd never forget his mangled face the first time she saw him.

"And you've been there for him through a lot in that time. I'm just saying…maybe things aren't so hopeless as you think," Tara gently suggested. "I came in on a moment, didn't I?" she surmised.

Corinne blushed again. "Maybe. It…it looked like he was about to kiss me," she admitted on a whisper. "But he was probably just going to kiss me on the cheek in the first place. It was just gratitude for my reassurance. He's never looked at me in _that_ way, you know… I'm the Mayor of Friendsville."

Tara chuckled at the description. "Well, he does care for you. I saw it on his face way back at the hospital. He was grateful to see you. So, how long have you felt something for him?"

"I don't know…I realized it in May, after Buffy had been brought to the hospital. I hadn't talked to him for about a month before that, then seeing him again…it just hit me that I was falling. I still didn't give it much credence. So I had a crush, so what…it's just a temporary chemical reaction to attraction. And he's basically my best friend right now, so I've done my best to push it aside and ignore it. I don't want anything screwing up that relationship. I tell him, he's going to say he doesn't feel the same way, we're both going to feel really awkward, I'm going to avoid him because I'm embarrassed, and there goes our friendship. And that would hurt way worse than anything I've been going through so far."

"Except that your feelings have just gotten stronger," the witch said astutely.

"Yeah…unfortunately. I'm not good with guys. I had two dates in high school, and only a handful more in college, then a brief relationship during med school. He left because I was too busy with school and work. It definitely hurt getting dumped, and I thought I'd been in love, but now…"

"It doesn't compare."

"Yeah," Corinne sighed. "I hurt when he hurts, and just the slightest touch thrills me inside, and all I want to do is make him smile or laugh. And god, he has the best body I've ever seen! And…he gets me, or at least, I _think_ he does. But it's crazy…I'm just a human, and he's a vampire. We can't go everywhere the other goes, and I'll get old while he remains the same. I couldn't hold him back like that…it's not fair."

"So, you're just giving up without trying?"

"Tara! Did you not listen to all the logic? I _can't_."

"Corinne, no one knows what life holds. We have to take happiness where we can find it. You might be destined for a car accident. Spike might have to give his life in an apocalypse. Should either of you have to be alone until life happens? Just think about it."

She shook her head. "Buffy will come and claim him eventually. They have a _thing_."

"Whatever you say, sweetie," Tara sighed. It was obvious her friend was just going to be stubborn about the issue for now. "I'm going to call Willow. Are you sticking around today?"

"No, I have to work this evening. I should get going…do some errands."

Tara nodded. "Okay. How about I drop off some dinner for you later?"

Corinne walked to the door. "That'd be great. And Tara…this stays between us."

"Of course. I'll see you later."

-------------

Dawn was right. Buffy didn't fight the request for emancipation. Dawn sent her a long latter detailing why she was choosing this route, and that she still loved her sister…would probably love her better now they could be equals. They didn't hear anything from Buffy's side, and Spike thought they should hold off until they did, in case the Slayer wasn't where she could receive mail, but Dawn insisted on getting it over and done with. Omitting all the supernatural, of course, the teen testified to a judge in a private hearing about how much her sister had been around in the past year, that she had emotional problems after their mother's death that made it difficult for her to function, and then, the subsequent shooting, illness, and refusal to come home. Once the judge learned that others had been providing for the girl's welfare, and even paying the mortgage on the house, she requested time to make her decision and called for a one hour recess.

They filed back in a few minutes before the hearing would resume. Dawn sat with her lawyer, an old friend of Corinne's. Tara, Spike, and Corinne sat behind her. Willow and Xander were on the opposite side. When Willow had heard what Dawn was planning, she had insisted on representing Buffy's side and tried to justify the Slayer's actions, convincing Xander to testify as well. The judge reentered the courtroom and they all rose.

"Dawn Summers, I have been impressed with how you've carried yourself in this case. You appear to be a bright, mature, realistic young woman. As Miss Buffy Summers has not expressed a wish to contest this request in this case, I have decided to grant you emancipation. You have a good support system, Miss Summers. Don't take advantage of them. I'll be checking in with you over the next few months, so no slacking! Court dismissed."

Dawn squealed, hugged her lawyer, then went up to thank the judge personally. Willow and Xander stomped out without a word. Tara hung her head. The lovers had been fighting ever since the blonde witch had announced that she supported Dawn's decision. She hoped Willow wouldn't do something drastic to reverse the situation. The judge handed Dawn a signed certificate granting her legal status as an adult. They shook hands, and Dawn was ready to go celebrate.

"This is the most awesome birthday present!" she exclaimed. They were in court the day before her birthday. "Let's go someplace nice to celebrate!"

"Congratulations, Dawn," her lawyer stated. "If you're still interested in pre-law when you graduate, give me a call. I'll write you a recommendation."

"Thanks, Chris, for everything. Will you come with us to dinner?"

"Nah, I've got a case to prepare for. Have to be in court early tomorrow, unfortunately. Corinne, it's been good seeing you again. Give me a call the next time you head home. We'll get lunch, or something." He hugged Dawn, then the doctor, and left.

"Looks like I have you ladies all to myself, then," the vampire smirked. "Could certainly have worse company," he teased.

"Yeah, yeah, we all know how you like your harem," Dawn snarked back. He laughed and mussed her hair. She was up to 5'5" in bare feet, now, so that took less of a reach.

"Where are you taking us for dinner, Grown-up Girl?" Corinne asked.

"Huh?" the teen responded, her eyes round.

"You're an official adult, now. You can't expect us to pay for you all the time anymore."

"But…but I don't have that much money!" she sputtered.

"Aww, too bad, Bit," Spike added, playing along. "We'll just have to do it another day," he sighed.

"Y-you guys!" Dawn stopped walking, shocked.

"You still get to have your birthday party tomorrow, sweetie. Don't feel too bad," Tara said sympathetically. She caught up to the others.

What Dawn couldn't see, was the grins they were sporting as they tried not to laugh. The teen eventually recovered and ran to catch up.

"Can I at least drive home? I have my test tomorrow morning."

"Sure, Dawnie," Corinne replied, handing her the keys.

Dawn's driving skills had vastly improved since receiving her permit. She was cautious, driving the speed limit, but confident in the knowledge she had acquired thus far. As long as she didn't get too nervous during the test, she was going to do fine.

The living room light was on when they reached Revello. She didn't think much of it as she unlocked the door, thinking Willow must have stopped at the house or something. The others let her walk in first as she headed for the kitchen.

"Chris! What are you doing here?"

"My favorite client deserves to celebrate, doesn't she?" the lawyer replied, stepping aside to show the cartons of food and small cake on the table. "Happy independence day, kiddo."

Dawn whirled on the three conspirators. "You guys! You had this planned the whole time!"

"Yup," Spike grinned unrepentantly. "Either way the decision went, you'd need food and dessert-"

"So, I gave Chris my keys so he could be here when we arrived," Tara added.

The teen started to get a little misty-eyed. "Aww…this is so cool…you guys have been so supportive, and I can't thank you enough. I can hardly believe I won't have to worry about being shipped around anymore…or Social Services…it's just…" The two women rushed forward for a group hug as the atmosphere turned sentimental. The men shuffled around awkwardly, as guys always do around crying females.

"Orange chicken, anybody?" the lawyer feebly tried for diversion. The girls parted and wiped their eyes, then got out plates and glasses.

Working full-time for a month and a half so far, Dawn was on her way to being able to buy her first car when school started, the first week of September. It would take all her savings, but she could get something cheap so she could keep working part-time and get herself to school. There was no one to pay for college, so she had to either pay her own way, or earn scholarships. They had all laid out the cold, hard truths of adult life for the girl once she announced she was serious about being emancipated. It was their duty to make sure she was aware of everything she faced ahead. Dawn had risen to the challenge and asked to be mentored in all things practical. Tonight's celebration had been hard earned.

-------------

"I can't believe that little brat," Willow said angrily. "Buffy's going to be devastated."

"You still haven't been able to reach her?" Xander asked.

"No," she sighed. "They're moving around too much, and I've never experimented with teleportation, so I can't be sure I won't frag myself."

"Maybe she really did get the notice and decided to let it be, Wills. Buffy wasn't exactly shaking pom-poms over being a surrogate mom this past year. She barely rose above apathy most of the time."

"But…Dawn's her little _sister_. Family was always everything to Buffy. I just can't believe she wouldn't respond."

"Well," he sighed. "We just won't know until we find her. Try calling Giles."

"He's with her, remember? It's the big Slayer-Watcher Adventure."

"Call the Council, then."

"I _have_, Xander. They said their cell is out of service range. Wherever they've found the latest girl, it's extremely remote. I hate it, but we have to wait."

"Don't be too hard on Dawn, okay? I talked with her a couple days ago, and she really had it rough until recently. The kid had less stability than I did back in the day. It kind of made sense that she'd want to make her own decisions now," Xander reasoned.

Willow's anger wilted. "I guess I've missed a lot, what with the magical addiction and going out of town…and Buffy hadn't talked to me much since Dawn's arm got broken back in November…not like we used to." She snorted a laugh. "No wonder you and Anya eloped! None of us was really sharing with the others anymore, were we? And Giles had abandoned us…we've all been a mess since Buffy died, and I just made it worse by bringing her back. I don't think I ever really apologized for that. I've messed up with Tara, too. It was so much simpler with Oz…how did I make this so complicated?"

"Well, it's not like Oz talked that much. He was the type you could just _be_ around, you know?"

"Yeah…he was the best at getting me to un-spaz. But I love Tara!"

"You also tried to control Tara, Wills…even now, you're upset, so you're not talking to her. I've learned with Anya, since we got married, that I might need a minute to calm down, but we have to keep communicating. It's saved me from a lot of nights on the couch, cuz you know how good I am at putting my foot in my mouth," Xander replied.

"A guaranteed Xander-ism," she teased.

"Exactly. I don't know Tara that well, really, but she's a great chick. If you don't think you can do right by her, like, permanently? Then let her go, before there's a lot more hurt involved."

"What would I do without, Xander? Will you come visit me in the old witches home?"

"Always."


	17. Chapter 17

Rated R for language and sexual content.  
Dawn's 16th birthday. Dawn gets her license, Corinne goes a bit wild, and Spike doesn't like it.  
Warning: Corinne/OC

Chapter 17

Dawn used Corinne's car for her test and passed with only a couple points off. The reviewer had been very kind, which was probably an improbable thing to find on a Hellmouth. She was probably new.

Her friends were coming over in the early evening for cake and presents, then the group was going to The Bronze for dancing. Of course, Spike hadn't agreed to that part until Dawn conceded to her friends being watched to make sure no one left with a demon. He'd made the argument that they didn't need the parents coming after them for missing children. (It was left unsaid that he wanted to spare her the grief of losing a friend.) So, the adults were going to watch on the balcony. Willow had been polite at the party, but declined coming out to the club. Baby steps, Dawn guessed.

The biggest troublemaker of her friends was usually Janice, but since Janice had the same run-in with vampires that Dawn did last Halloween, they actually didn't have to worry about her sneaking off tonight. Trying to convince the bartender she could have alcohol? Yeah, that was expected.

Determined that his Niblet's birthday would be perfect, Spike hovered around the perimeter of the dance floor, senses extended. He'd been extra diligent in the area, brutally killing every vampire and demon in a five-block radius, except the one fledgling he let lived to tell the tale. There was little chance a vamp would be stupid enough to come here tonight, but he watched, just the same. Kept an eye on the frat boys around the teenyboppers, too. Plenty of human danger could befall a young girl at night.

Corinne approached him from the front, knowing it wasn't wise to spook him when he was like this. A relatively slow song had just started playing over the sound system.

"Dance with me?"

"Have to watch the kiddies, pet. There are plenty of blokes around," he replied absently, not really paying attention.

"You can be spared for one dance, Spike. Besides, everybody here is at least 5 years younger than me. I feel like a freakin' mom," she added.

He finally actually looked at her, eyes raking over the tank top and denim skirt she was wearing. "Were you wearing a skirt at the house?"

Corinne rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Spike. You were just too busy glaring at Dawn's male friends to notice. Forget I asked." She turned and stalked off, melting into the crowd.

He frowned, confused as to why she was upset. Well, maybe she was upset. You never could be sure with females. This was probably one of those times he was supposed to compliment her outfit. Dru always made him notice when she wore something new. Perhaps his perception was fading now that he hadn't been with an insane woman for years. He mentally shrugged and focused back on the girls in Dawn's group.

Corinne stomped back up the stairs with a scowl and a drink. Tara looked concerned.

"I thought you didn't drink?"

"I don't," she replied, and took a long sip of the fruity cocktail she was holding. "But, I'm going to die from boredom if I don't find something fun to do. Figure this will at least make me not care as much."

"Okaaaay…did something happen down there?" the perceptive witch asked.

"Nope. Just boredom. This is pretty good…can't even taste the alcohol."

"Just be careful…"

"Tara, I'm 25. I know my limits. I'm just trying to relax, okay?"

"Alright," the blonde replied, though she didn't look wholly convinced.

Corinne bobbed her head to the music as she sipped her drink, then decided to get another. She wanted to be just drunk enough for a pleasant buzz. She wrote down a recipe on a napkin, then passed it to the bartender.

"Can you make that?"

"Pretty close, just don't have the fruit slices."

"That's okay. Just use juice, then. The flavor's important, not the texture."

He nodded and started mixing things for the blender. She smiled. The part Grey Goose vodka, part Grand Marnier, part orange concentrate, part juice concoction was extra orangey, with a kick. The extra sweetness disguised the strong alcohols. When she rejoined Tara, the witch wrinkled her nose.

"I can smell the alcohol from here! What is that?"

Corinne twirled the cherry around in the liquid so it would soak up some of the flavor. "A 'Bloody Orange'. Would you believe the bartender actually had squeezed blood orange juice? Just my luck that he grows them in his back yard. Wanna sip?" At the witch's dubious look, she added, "Oh, come on! You drank Guinness on a dare from Spike without even flinching. This tastes way smoother than that!"

Not one to back down from a dare, Tara took the glass and sipped the drink. Her sinuses cleared instantly and her throat was warm all the way down to her stomach. "Wow…that kinda burns."

"Really? My college roommate used to make them after we took our tests. I guess I just got used to it. It was the only time I drank. I didn't have time for a hangover."

"What's in it?"

"40 liquors, orange juice concentrate, and blood orange juice, if you can find them. Frozen fruit slices make it a slushy," Corinne replied cheerfully. She was on her way to 'giddy'. "They charge too much for the alcohol, though. Guess I'm not showing enough cleavage," she pouted. The doctor took another swallow from the 12-ounce glass, lowering the level noticeably. "You wanna dance?"

Tara shook her head. "I'd rather keep an eye on the girls. Xander and Anya probably aren't helping much."

"Sheah! Yeah…probably off fucking in the bathroom. Okay, I'm heading into the breach. God, I hope there's someone cute!" Corinne all but bounced down the stairs, her dark auburn waves swaying with the music.

Tara was starting to wish she could communicate telepathically with Spike.

-------------

Corinne bumped into a sweaty Dawn on the dance floor.

"Oooh, is that orange juice?"

"Partly. Stick to water, or sodas. Having fun?"

"Oh, yeah! Despite my bodyguard glaring at all the boys…" She turned and stuck her tongue out at Spike, who rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, he's a definite party pooper. Have you seen anyone older and cute down here? I wanna dance," the doctor stated.

"The college guys left to play pool when the band went off. Try flirting over there."

"Thanks, Dawnie!" Corinne sauntered towards the back of The Bronze, where the tables were tucked under the balcony portion.

She stopped to tug her skirt down a little and tied the hem of her tank in a knot at her back, exposing the small stud in her belly button. Another leftover from college. A little dab of lip gloss on her bottom lip, and she was ready to find a prospect. Her eyes scanned the pool tables, then the guest tables beyond them. _Bingo_. Shy-looking kid with half-rimmed glasses reading a book. Corinne was curious what he could possibly be trying to read in the dim light of the club. It wasn't even Friday night, so he couldn't possibly be using the book as a pick-up tool. He was cute, she noticed, as she got closer, with boyish features and a casual style. She slid into the seat across from his and smiled. _British Lit, huh. Probably an English major._

"Hi. What's your name?" she asked.

"M-me?" he asked, surprised, pointing a finger at his chest.

"Mmm-hmm. It's a bit dark in here to study, and noisy…"

He actually blushed. "Oh, I, uh…I got invited out for a game, but, well, I'm not very good…a-and this is better than being at the dorm…"

"It's okay. I was a workaholic through college, too. So, should I call you Mr. British Lit, or do you have a name?" she teased.

"Michael," he replied, still looking down at the table more than at her. Poor kid seemed painfully shy. Well, she could see about giving him a confidence boost for the night.

"I always liked the name Michael. Would you like to dance?"

"With _you_? N-no, I c-couldn't…I'll probably step all over your feet…" he stuttered, and blushed again.

Corinne stood, leaving her empty glass on the table. She stopped in front of him and tugged on his hand. "I'll forgive you. Would you _like_ to dance with me?"

"V-very much," he murmured at the table.

"Then come on. I promise to keep it easy." He stood with another tug on his hand, tucking the book in his back pocket. _Not bad_, she thought, seeing the rest of him. The boy was about six feet tall, decent build, wearing a navy polo tee and jeans. She thought he might have light-colored eyes, but it was hard to tell in this light. Corinne led him around the tables towards the dance floor until they were part of the crowd, where she draped her arms around his neck. He brought his hands up to rest lightly in her back, barely touching her. She swayed with the beat, and he soon caught on.

"I-I haven't done this much," Michael admitted shyly.

"Well, you're doing fine. Were you reading the book for pleasure or a class?"

"Both. I'm an English major. I plan to teach."

"My mother was a teacher. I have a lot of respect for those who go into it for the right reasons. You cover a fair bit of poetry in class, right?"

"Oh, yes…many authors," he replied. Well, something he was passionate about. _Good._

"Well, part of reading poetry is figuring out the rhythm…same with music. You just listen to the basic rhythm, and you'll stay with the beat just fine."

"I never looked at it that way…but you're right. Music and poetry are in essence the same…even entwined. May I ask _your_ name?"

Awww, he was so polite. It was adorable. "Corinne. How long have you been at the university?"

"I-I'm a freshman," he muttered down at his shoes. She lifted his chin.

"Hey, don't be ashamed of being young. This is a very memorable, exciting part of your life. You're ahead of the game just by knowing what you want to do," she assured him.

"Thank you…Corinne. It's kind of you to say, but…why me?"

"Because I wanted to dance with someone who wouldn't be a jerk, and you're cute."

"But you're so beautiful!" he blurted out, his eyes widening with horror a second later and his face turning an even deeper shade of red.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. "Though, I have to admit, you're seeing me at my best compared to when I'm at work. I don't get compliments often." The song changed to a faster one, and he started to pull away. "Ah-uh…you're not getting away, yet. Remember, just feel the rhythm."

Corinne danced closer to the boy, encouraging him to sway with her. Once he started to loosen up, she turned in his arms and leaned against his chest as she moved. She could feel his heart pounding through his chest and encouraged his grip to tighten. Yeah, she was being a tease, but the kid needed to know that a woman could be interested in him. In a few years, once he had some confidence, he'd do fine in the dating scene. She tilted her head up and pulled his down so she could whisper in his ear.

"You're doing fine, Michael. Are you having fun?"

He nodded, not trusting his voice to speak. She smiled and brushed a kiss over the boy's pulse point. His gasp made the smile widen. The next song was a hip-hop bouncy number, which she so wasn't interested in, so Corinne tugged him into the alcove under the stairs.

"C-Corinne…"

"Shhh. You were very sweet to dance with me, Michael. Would you like me to be your girl, just for tonight, while we're in this club?" she whispered huskily.

He trembled under her hands, and whispered, "yes." She smiled, and rose on her toes to kiss him. It took a couple seconds for him to respond, and then it was tentative. She coaxed him slowly, but he was a fast learner, his arms finally wrapping around her back to pull her closer as he moaned into the kiss. Oh, some woman would have fun teaching him the ropes later. He responded with such earnest passion, completely unmarred by jaded experiences. Corinne was enjoying the lesson, though it didn't stir her heart. It was just good to feel powerfully feminine again. Right up until she was yanked away from Michael by her elbow.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Spike growled.

"Kissing a cute guy. Piss off."

"Are you…are you _drunk_?" he asked incredulously.

"No! I was having fun, until you interrupted!"

"I-I think the lady wants to be left a-alone," Michael said from behind her.

"Piss off, _boy_! You're done here," Spike snarled. "You're picking up virgins now?!" he taunted Corinne.

"Hey!" she and Michael exclaimed. "He's a nice guy who was nice enough to _dance_ with me, unlike some people. Go away, Spike. You have a job to do, remember?"

"We _all_ do, Doc! _Remember?_" he sneered back.

"That doesn't mean we can't have a little fun, too, and I was up with Tara until about 20 minutes ago, and she's still _watching_! Go. Away," she growled.

"No. Besides, you're boy toy's run off. You're going to help me round up these chits so their parents can pick them up soon." He grabbed her elbow again, which she shrugged out of.

"How dare you! I haven't been kissed in months, and you scare him off. Well, fuck you, Spike!" Corinne spat, before turning on her heel to go find Michael. Her journey was short-lived.

"You want to be kissed? Fine!" he snarled, and crashed his lips onto hers.

Corinne melted into the kiss for five seconds, before her brain caught up and reminded her she was supposed to be furious with him. She recoiled from the kiss and smacked him in the face, hard. Spike was too shocked to follow her again, and then all he felt was white-hot anger. She wanted to be a bitch? Fine! He spun away, duster whirling around his feet, and stomped over to Dawn to let her know what time it was.

Corinne found Michael back at his table, hoisting a leather messenger bag on his shoulder. He looked surprised to see her.

"I'm sorry!" she panted. "My friend can be a real jerk sometimes."

"It's alright. I obviously stepped into the middle of something," he replied, looking away.

She stepped forward and cupped his cheek. "No, you didn't." And kissed him again. "Walk me home? I think I've had a bit too much to drive."

"I-I could drive…so you d-don't have to walk back t-tomorrow."

"You didn't drive your friends?"

"No, ma'am, I mean Corinne…I j-just rode along."

She smiled. "That's convenient, then." She took his hand and pulled Michael towards the exit, out in the open where her friends could see. Corinne glared at Spike just before pushing through the door.

Tara ran down the stairs. She watched her friend leave with a young man, then looked at Spike, who appeared ready to eat somebody. "Did Cori just leave with a guy?"

"Yeah, the irresponsible bitch. She didn't even say goodbye to Dawn," he growled, eyes flickering yellow.

Tara found this development very interesting, though she was concerned for her friend. "Should I try to catch her?"

A growled rumbled in his chest, but Spike didn't answer, stalking off to get the rest of the kids. Tara decided to follow her instincts and ran out of the club, hoping Corinne hadn't driven off, yet. She found her kissing the young man at her car.

"Corinne!" she called.

"Tara?" the doctor said, surprised. She separated from Michael and closed the gap with her friend. "Is something wrong with Dawn?"

"No, no…she's fine. What about you? This isn't like you." They both glanced at the shy young man, who was fiddling nervously with his fingers.

"He's nice, and sweet, and…"

"Not Spike?" Tara surmised.

Corinne bit her lip as she answered. "Uh-huh?" She leaned in to whisper. "I think he's, um…inexperienced."

"Oh! Corinne…You can't pick up a boy just to teach him the art of sex!" Tara whispered back.

The doctor's expression turned frustrated. "I just…I'm tired of pining, Tara! I want to feel desired, and feminine, and god, it's been so long! I normally wouldn't be this candid if it wasn't for the alcohol, but I'm tired of using my fucking vibrator!" she hissed. "And he's so eager…and nice!"

"But, you _love Spike_!"

"I know, and that's my problem, since he doesn't feel the same way. This boy, Michael, looks at me like I'm a gift from heaven. Better me than some sorority chick who'll break his heart, right?"

"Hey, it's your body. Just make sure you're both on the same page, if you decide to do it." She hugged Corinne. "I'm just a worrier, you know that."

"I know, and I love that about you. I better go…he's driving me home, since I've been drinking. I'll call you tomorrow, 'kay?" She jogged back to Michael, smiling reassuringly before handing him her keys.

Tara waved, then shook her head once they headed out of the parking lot. _Now, the joy of facing a jealous vampire._

--------------

"Where is she?" he demanded, once Tara stepped back inside. Spike was standing outside the restrooms, as Dawn's friends all needed to empty their bladders before going home. He'd never understood the female insistence of going to the loo in packs.

"Going home."

"Alone?"

She shook her head. "He drove, since she had a couple drinks."

"_Bloody_ hell! She 's going to shag the little pansy, isn't she?" he asked derisively. His tone brought Tara's hackles up.

"One, he was taller than you, two, they're both adults, and three, it's _her_ body! Corinne can take home whomever she wants, Spike, so show a little respect!" Tara reprimanded him.

The vampire's jaw dropped in shock. Glinda had never raised her voice at him before. Her smoky blue eyes were blazing, and right then, he believed she could make him a pile of dust with a word.

"I…I'm sorry, Glinda," he said contritely. "I was out of line."

"You better believe you were!" she agreed, shaking her finger at him. "And I saw her smack you, so there better be an apology coming for whatever you said to her, too." Tara hadn't seen the kiss, only Corinne's hand connect with Spike's face.

"Yeah, I know," he muttered. "I don't really know what happened…I just…lost my temper."

"Did it upset you that she was kissing another man?" Tara asked curiously, trying to follow a hunch.

"What? No, why would it? I just…I thought she was being irresponsible for cavorting about while we have 20 teens to keep safe and sound."

_Ah, De Nile is flowing freely…_ "So, if she ends up dating him, that's not going to be a problem?" she continued conversationally.

"Well…as long as he treats her right…"

"And that standard is measured by her…" she hinted.

"Well, yeah…but Glinda, he looked 18, if a day, so I don't think they'll have much in common."

"Who says she's looking for a relationship?" Tara suggested coyly. "It only takes chemistry for a night or two…" She sauntered off towards the ladies' room to check on the girls, leaving him with that thought. She smirked at the way he had blanched at her suggestion. The just hoped Corinne didn't do anything she'd regret.

------------

Corinne sat in the center seat as the college kid followed her directions, teasing his neck with her fingers and breath. From the way he was gripping the steering wheel, the boy was about to pop. Once they were only a couple minutes from her apartment, she leaned away slightly to give him some room. _What are you doing, Doc?_ a voice whispered in her head. _Shut up! I'm living, that's what!_

He stopped the car in front of her unit and exhaled nervously. She could see in the streetlights that his eyes were blue. _Not the right color…_ Corinne twisted so she could nibble on his neck. The boy moaned and turned his head to kiss her, more assured after the few they'd already exchanged. She sucked his bottom lip through her teeth before letting go and backing away. Michael was panting, his pupils dilated with lust. He really did have a nice mouth.

Corinne looked at him through her lashes as she asked, "Do you want me, Michael?" her tone seductive.

"God, yes," he breathed. She smiled wickedly and beckoned him to get out of the car.

Michael handed her the keys once she came round the car. She took his hand and nibbled on the fleshy part of his palm, before tugging him towards the door. Corinne knew not to give a verbal invite in this town, just in case, so she unlocked the door and swung it open. She flipped the light switch and backed into the room.

"Is this real?" he whispered, stepping inside. She wasn't sure if he was aware he'd said it out loud, but she answered anyway.

"Yep. If you want to."

His eyes flicked around the room, he nodded, and came in far enough to close the door behind him. Corinne directed him to the couch and bade him sit down; straddling his lap once his butt hit the cushion. Her skirt had ridden up in this position, showing him a good bit more pale leg than was visible before. Michael's eyes were wide and he was still breathing heavy. She grinned sexily, before nibbling his neck again, his earlobe, down to his collarbone as she unbuttoned the polo. Corinne sucked hard enough to leave a little bruise. He moaned and his hands gripped her hips. _Hmm, baby likes that._

She kissed back up to his lips and thrust her tongue between his parted lips, curling along the roof of his mouth. He whimpered, and pulled her against his erection as she teased every erogenous zone inside his willing mouth. Corinne arched her back to rub her body against his, pressing her breasts into his chest. One of his hands slid tentatively to her ass as she wiggled on his lap. By the way his other hand was gripping her hip hard enough to leave marks, the boy was getting close to popping. _Might as well help him along_, she thought.

Corinne's lips left his mouth to travel down his throat again while she tugged his shirt out of his pants. She lifted it off once she'd gone as far as she could down his neckline. _Nice._ He was decently defined, probably did push ups and sit ups, the standard things. She grinned up at him wickedly, before taking one of his nipples in her mouth and teasing it with her teeth. He arched into her, moaning again. She laved the other with the same attention, then peppered open-mouthed kisses down his chest. Corinne undid the belt on his jeans, and paused.

"Michael…"

"Hmm?" he intoned, dazed.

"Have you been with a woman before?" She was pretty sure of the answer, but you never knew. He froze, afraid to tell the truth, and she knew for sure.

Finally, he shook his head, slowly. "No," he murmured, cheeks burning and eyes averted. Surely, she wouldn't want him now.

Corinne popped the button and slid the zipper down before he could blink. "Good."

"Huh?" he said surprised, right before she licked him base to tip. "Jeezus!" he yelped. "Oh, god…"

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed around him with feminine pride. Having no experience, she had to get him off at _least_ once before they did anything else, or it'd be over way too soon. As it was, he was tightening inside her mouth in about a minute.

"Cor-Corinne, I'm gonna-" She nodded, and raked her teeth over his length before dropping down for one last hard pull. He exploded with a shout as she drank him down.

"Oh. My. God," he panted, looking at her with awe. "That was…was…"

"Good, huh?" she filled in, grinning. It was liberating knowing she couldn't disappoint this young man.

"I mean…I've…_you know_, but…Come up here?" It was half demanded, half requested, and she eagerly complied, letting him kiss _her_ in the way he felt.

His hands started lightly roaming over her skin as he learned a woman's body. Michael's fingers grazed over her bare thighs, denim covered hips, and up to her waist, where he fumbled with the knot in her top until it was loose and he could slide his hands up her back. She coaxed his kiss to slow down, be savored, being in no rush. Her skin felt like silk to him. Up and down, up and down, he ran his hands over her back, until he got brave enough to slide them around to her belly, brushing over her taut stomach with his thumbs. Those thumbs brushing along the undersides of her lace-covered breasts made Corinne tense for a moment, as it occurred to her again what she was doing.

In a way, she was using Michael. She wasn't looking to start a relationship with him, and she needed to tell him that. Right after she dealt with whomever was at the door.


	18. Chapter 18

Rated R for the first half.  
Some more angst ahead...

Chapter 18

Corinne growled in frustration as she pulled away from Michael. "Give me a minute," she promised him. "Go away!" she yelled at the door.

"Doc? I came over to apologize," Spike called from outside.

_Damnit!_ she cursed. "Could you go in my bedroom for a couple minutes while I get rid of him?" she murmured quietly. He nodded, zipped his pants up over his semi, and went through the door she pointed to. Corinne closed it, smoothed her hair and clothes, then stomped to her door and flung it open.

"What are you doing here? How did you find me?" she said angrily.

"You're in the phone book, luv. I came to apologize for being such a prick," Spike replied.

"Fine. I'm not letting you in. Goodnight." She started to close the door in his face.

"Luv, please! Please don't stay mad at me, I can't bear it. I'm a bad, rude man, and an evil vampire, to boot. I don't know why I said those things, but I didn't mean to hurt you," he pleaded, blue eyes shining.

She sighed. "You didn't hurt me, Spike, you insulted me, and in public, too. And you were mean to an innocent guy who was just trying to defend my honor. It was completely uncalled for. And kissing me like that was a…a violation. I don't what kind of point you were trying to make, but…" She shook her head, not knowing what else to say.

"Corinne, I'm sorry. Please forgive me. You're my best friend," Spike said in earnest.

Corinne leaned on the partially closed door, looking for something she wanted in his face. Finally, she sighed, and muttered, "And that's the problem." And shut the door.

Spike stared at the closed door, confused. What did that mean? Had he just lost her friendship?

"Corinne! I don't understand, pet! Please open the door," he pleaded.

"Just go away, Spike!" she yelled through her tears. She slumped down to the floor, her back against the wall.

He could hear her quiet sobs through the door, and it broke his heart. He'd done this? Reduced her to tears? Somehow, he had to make it right.

"Please, luv, don't cry. Tell me what I can do to make this right."

Michael shouldn't have been eavesdropping, but the voices had been too loud for him to ignore. He quietly came out of the bedroom and approached Corinne, carried her to the sofa, handed her a tissue, and went to the door to tell this guy off for upsetting her.

"Look, buddy, I don't know what your problem is, but you've made her cry and I won't stand for it. Just leave quietly, or I'm calling the cops," he said bravely, though the blond man looked quite intimidating, with his all black and leather.

Spike, too shocked at seeing what might as well have been a modern day William tell him off, nodded, and walked away. It was obvious he'd interrupted a…_moment_, and that bothered him more than he liked, or understood. He walked back to his crypt, too upset to go back to Revello tonight. The evening had left him…bewildered, to say the least, and he hoped that sleep would magically make it all better. A fool's dream, but the only one he could hold on to at the moment.

--------------

"Corinne," Michael said softly, once the door had been closed and locked. "Are you alright?"

She looked up and wiped the tears from her eyes with a tissue. "I'm sorry. I must look a mess."

"No…you're one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, even now." He knelt in front of her, taking her hands. "Tell me why you are crying?"

She already felt vulnerable enough, but looking at his face, the complete sincerity and wish to help, she caved a bit further. "That…guy…is my best friend, or at least was. We've been through some heavy stuff since we met…I basically saved his life on that night…and…this is kinda complicated…"

"You're in love with him," Michael said simply.

"How…?" _Am I that transparent?_

"You wouldn't be crying like this if you didn't. He wouldn't be able to wound you so deeply. I _am_ young, but I still know things. Does he feel the same?"

She shook her head. "Spike is in love with someone else. She's not even in the country now, and she's never returned his feelings, but he's still hooked on her," she replied bitterly. "I'm sorry. This is not how you were expecting the night to go," Corinne added, dropping her eyes.

His tentative fingers lifted her chin. "I didn't expect _any_thing, Corinne. I'm still in shock that you spoke to me."

"Your stutter is gone," she said, smiling a little.

It dawned on him, as well. "So, it is. You've given me a great gift already. I wouldn't dare ask more of you now. It's funny…I know nothing about you, but you put me at ease."

She chuckled. "Well, I'm a doctor at the hospital, starting my 2nd year of residency. I've been in Sunnydale a year and a half or so. How old are you, Michael?"

"19," he replied, blushing. "I'm about to start my 2nd year, but I guess I still think of myself as a freshman. I took British Lit over the summer to get some credits out of the way."

"Want to know a secret?" She waited for his hesitant nod. "I was almost 20 before I lost my virginity. True story. There just wasn't time, or a person I trusted, before then. So…no need to be embarrassed with me."

Impulsively, he kissed her. "Thank you. Logically, I know I'm not the only guy in the world with my…situation…but the others make it hard, sometimes. There's so much pressure to bang a cheerleader when you're 16…that never felt right to me. I wanted special…not to make it into some chore. I guess that makes me unrealistic," he sighed.

"No, it makes you a hopeless romantic, and I'm glad guys like you still exist."

"Thanks. So…why me?" he wondered. He really couldn't see what had appealed to her.

"Why did I pick you? Honestly, I was just buzzed enough to approach someone without any fear, and I picked the easiest prospect…you. You looked sweet, and nice, and kinda lonely…so, I figured I could be the girl that asks you to dance. And…I was also kinda mad that Spike was too busy watching over Dawn's teenybopper friends to have one dance with me. I've had these feelings for months, and I just wanted to escape it for a night, you know? Be a little of someone else and have some fun. I haven't gone out, as a _woman_, since I moved here." _God, that must sound horrible._

"Would you have asked me home if he hadn't picked a fight with you?"

Corinne looked away. "I don't know…probably not. I don't do this, just so you know. You're the first guy to _ever_ be in this apartment since the movers brought my furniture in. Anyway, I probably would have spent the night kissing and dancing with you until I was safe to drive home. You, uh, looked like the shy type…and I wanted to boost your confidence. Bookworms, science nerds…we all have to stick together, you know?" she replied shyly.

"Thank you for being honest with me. Well, you probably want to get some sleep, so I'll just go…" He picked up his shirt and kissed her cheek, then started walking to the door.

"Michael…wait." He turned, looking at her expectantly. Corinne went to him and pulled him into a slow, sweet kiss. "Stay," she whispered. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Are you sure? What about how you feel for-?" She cut him off.

"Doesn't matter," she interrupted him. "I'm not asking for anything beyond tonight, but it's been so long since someone made me feel…special. Please…stay. We don't have to do anything more than you're comfortable with."

"You're really sure?" he asked, scanning her face. "I don't want you to feel like you cheated on him later…"

"Michael…I do feel for him, but he has no claim on me. He's never even tried for one. I'm a big girl. Decide whether to stay or not for your _own_ reasons. If you want to save yourself for the girl you'll eventually marry, that's fine with me, too. I'd just like the company."

"We're both probably too honorable for our own good, aren't we?" he joked with a crooked smile. She liked that look on him.

"So?" _Please stay._

Michael kissed her, meaning it. "Let's see how it goes." He picked her up, making her squeal and giggle, and carried her to the bedroom. They fell to the bed, laughing.

The kisses were slower, less frantic than when they had first started. The mood had changed to something deeper, more profound, as there was emotional comfort to reach as well a pleasure. For a beginner, he was picking up pretty quickly how to make her hot. He paid the same attention to both sides of her neck that she had done to him, hoping she liked it at least as much. From the gasps and moans escaping her lips, he was doing a pretty good job.

_Oh, god…_she thought. Michael was quite the natural. He did his best to mimic what she had done for him, then experimented on new areas with only a bit of hesitation to see if she wanted him to stop. The young man skipped over her breasts for now, pushing up her tank to the edge of her bra to kiss her abdomen. She giggled when he nibbled on her sides, so he tickled them again. That area covered with kisses, he moved down to her feet, removing her canvas tennis shoes and ankle socks, kissing the arch. She squeaked again, pulling her foot away.

"Ticklish?" he asked mischievously.

"No! They're just…smelly."

"Hmm, not so much. _I_ think they're ticklish!"

She shook her head frantically. "Please don't."

He smiled shyly. "I like that."

"What? The begging?" Michael nodded, blushing. "You are so cute," she mused.

He smiled and started leaving hot kisses on her legs, discovering the flesh was more tender above her knees. What should he do now, though? He couldn't go anywhere new without removing clothes. Michael looked up to her for guidance.

"What would you like to do?" she asked in reply.

"I…I don't want to go where you aren't comfortable."

Corinne thought for a minute, then removed her tank top, casting it aside. With August being so hot, she usually tried to wear thin layers, and this bra was black lace, the pattern discreet. His eyes darkened with lust again at the sight of her barely hidden curves.

"Beautiful," he murmured reverently. It was her turn to blush, unaccustomed to the praise. "May I?" Michael asked, crawling up her body. He waited for her nod, before lowering his lips to the swell of her breast, kissing and nipping at the exposed cleavage.

She closed her eyes, surrendering to the sensations he was creating. How long had it been since she'd felt this? Sure, she'd been dreaming of Spike practically every night for months, but it was no replacement for actual physical contact. The boy got adventurous, brushing a kiss over a lace-covered peak. Corinne jumped, surprised, and startled him.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"No, it's okay…I was just surprised, that's all."

Michael sighed in relief. "May I touch you?" She smiled, so he tentatively began planting kisses over the lace. The near-teasing touch was driving her insane.

"It's…mmm…awesome that you have – oh! – manners."

"I am at your command, dear lady," he replied with jovial chivalry.

Corinne growled her approval and rolled them over, attacking his mouth. She ground against the mound in his jeans, receiving a pleasured moan in response. So she did it again. The lace rubbing her sensitized breasts as she wriggled on him drove her crazy. His enthusiasm for every new sensation was catching; when he moaned, she did, too.

"Mmm…more skin," he mumbled, undoing the clasp of her bra. His hands slid the straps off her arms as she kissed him. All that was left was to pull it away from in between them. Corinne arched up, giving access, and then they were skin to skin, sighing at the pleasurable warmth.

Michael reversed their position again, so he could see her. Creamy skin over full curves…perfect. He lifted a hand to caress the back of it along the side of her left breast, fascinated when her nipple hardened. He ached to taste it, dipping his head to lave his tongue around the dusky peak. She arched into his touch, craving more, so he added his hand, testing the weight, manipulating the softness with gentility. He would rather touch her too lightly, than cause pain.

"Ohhhh…don't stop," she moaned, as he used both hands. Michael alternated sucking on one, then the other, learning her responses.

Corinne was tingling with a delicious fire, that old familiar ache building in her core. He was rubbing himself against her center, unconsciously, as he attended to her breasts, and it was just enough of a tease to make her body demand more. Michael seemed to sense it, perhaps from the rapidity of her heartbeat, and moved down to slide her skirt off. Matching lace string bikinis were revealed, the boy groaning with delight. He kicked off his shoes and let his pants drop, leaving him in his boxers. He was just about to lie down next to her again, when she remembered something important.

"Crap! Wait there a second." She dashed into the bathroom, giving the young man an appreciative view of bouncing curves. Corinne rooted around in the drawers and under the sink, but couldn't find what she needed. _Shit!_ She poked her head around the corner. "You wouldn't happen to have a condom on you, would you?" she asked sheepishly, looking apologetic.

"Oh! Uh, let me check my wallet…" _Please, let me have put one in here!_ He had a box in his dorm room for that inevitable day, but they wouldn't help him _now_. Looking through every compartment twice, he came up empty. "Sorry," he genuinely apologized, and he sooo was!

She smiled benevolently. "That's okay, honey. We can do other things." Corinne stopped at the end of the bed and shimmied out of her panties.

_Oh, my god…_he thought, seeing a naked woman in the flesh for the first time. His eyes raked up and down her body again and again, memorizing every curve. Michael snapped out of it when she started to fidget under his stare and reached for her. He was sitting on the bed, so this put him eye level with her delectable breasts again, which he couldn't help tasting. Her head dropped back as she moaned, threading her fingers through his hair to hold him to her.

Michael could smell her arousal increase and longed to touch her. His fingers slid over her hip to between her silky thighs and lightly started to feel around.

"Mmmm…" she moaned, writhing against his hand.

"Lie down…I want to see you," he stated huskily. Corinne eagerly complied, spreading her legs for his perusal. He traced his index finger along her glistening folds, taking cues from her gasps. Sliding the finger inside had her moaning, and writhing to capture it. "I never knew there were different textures…" he mused.

"Uh-huh…curl your finger along the spongy part on the upper wall." She whimpered as he tried it.

"Like this?"

"Mmm-hmm!"

"Okay…what else?" he asked eagerly.

"Slide your thumb over the part that feels firm underneath when you press on it."

"Along the top edge here?" He circled his thumb over her clit.

"Ah…that's right…but feel free to try any ideas…I'll let you know what's what." He teased her madly as his curiosity led to different speeds. Then, he added a second finger. "Oh, god…"

"Good?"

"_Very_. Just stay angled along the top and go a little faster," Corinne panted. He paid such rapt attention, that he easily picked up the cues from her hips, and it wasn't long before she was tightening around his fingers. "Kiss me, Michael! But don't stop!"

He quickly obeyed, adding just a little extra speed. She spasm-ed around his fingers as his kisses swallowed her cries. He slowed as she went limp, bringing her down. Corinne gave him a hard kiss, then collapsed on the bed, panting.

"You…are a very fast learner!" she stated giddily. "Oh, wow! Way better than a vibrator." Her hand came over her mouth a second later, mortified she just said that out loud.

Michael laughed, and kissed her again, sweetly. "I take it you are well pleased?"

"Mmm…mmm-hmm. Your turn."

"Y-you don't have to…I've already gone, before…earlier…"

"So? I'd bet anything you're ready to burst again," she said definitively.

"Well…" he muttered, and blushed. Corinne nodded, grinning. She could see the evidence, anyway. He started to get up to go wash his hand, when she stopped him.

"Taste it."

"Beg pardon?"

"Taste your fingers. I bet you'll like it." He looked at her incredulously, but she just arched a brow, challenging him.

Michael rolled his eyes and humored her, taking a little lick and testing it on his tongue. When he sucked a finger clean and looked up at her eyes, he was practically floored by the predatory gleam in them. _Okay, then._

-------------

The couple fell asleep a couple hours later after a few more rounds of "Trade the Orgasm" and bouts of chatting while cuddling. In the morning, Corinne made him breakfast, then drove Michael back to the university.

"You won't get in trouble for being out all night, will you?" she asked.

"Nah. They don't check around like that. Thanks for breakfast. You make a really great omelette."

"You're welcome. So…" _And this is where it gets awkward._

"Yeah…I'm not going to see you again, am I?"

"Not unless you end up in the emergency room," she quipped, then sobered. "Are you okay with that?" she asked with concern.

"Yeah," he replied, surprising both of them that it was honest. "I think you're amazing, and a part of me wouldn't mind, but I think we both know that it wouldn't last long…and the memory of last night was perfect."

Corinne caressed his cheek. "I'm glad. If I had thought that I would just be using you, we wouldn't have done more than kiss. Take care of yourself, okay, and don't go out alone after dark here. Sunnydale is dangerous at night."

"Yeah, I've heard rumors. Will you be okay…with the Spike thing?"

She nodded. "I'll figure it out, somehow. You helped…really…I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I've been wallowing too much in my own angst." Corinne kissed him one last time. "Thank you."

"Bye, Corinne. Maybe in a few years, if we're free…" Michael suggested, waggling his brows. She laughed, which was what he desired.

"I've created a monster. Go! Before I kick you to class." She waved at him as he stopped at the door to the dorms, then left.

--------------

Having a rare day off (which she needed), Corinne stopped by the preschool Tara worked at for lunch.

"Hey! How was last night?" the witch asked immediately.

_Gee, subtle._ "He drove me home, I asked him in, we kissed, I gave him a blow job, Spike came by, made me cry, Michael asked him to leave, Michael comforted me, I invited him to stay if he wanted, we did more stuff, didn't have condoms, so did other stuff until we fell asleep sometime in the middle of the night, then I made him breakfast and drove him home this morning, where we said our goodbyes. Detailed enough?"

Tara blushed. "Well…you could have just said 'good', or 'fun'…Spike came by? What happened?" It took a moment for all of it to register, since Corinne had rattled it off so fast.

"He wanted to apologize, I was still pissed off, he apologized more, I tried to get him to leave and closed the door in his face, he still tried to talk to me, saying he didn't understand, I was crying, because he affects me that much, and…Michael did the chivalrous thing and politely asked Spike to leave. He did, without complaint. I think I might have broken up with him as a friend…I don't know. It's a little fuzzy."

"Oh, goddess…you should go see him later, to straighten it out. You two have been through too much to let your friendship die," Tara replied.

"At the expense of my heart? I just don't know anymore, Tara. Michael reminded me, just by being himself last night, that I'm a desirable, passionate woman…not just a buddy with boobs. There were no games, and he put my happiness first. It was so nice to feel…adored. If Spike would look at me with half of that, I'd be in his arms in a second, but…that's just not how it is."

"Well, he did seem jealous last night…" she tried helpfully.

"He's a vampire, Tara. They're naturally possessive, and the boy was treading on his turf by chatting up one of his harem. That's all it was. You should have heard what he said. It was awful, and embarrassing. Spike almost scared poor Michael off! He practically accused me of being some slut that trolls for virgin prey. I really don't want to see him right now," Corinne said firmly.

Tara's expression was sympathetic. "I'm sorry, sweetie…All I can say, is that sooner or later, you're going to miss him too much not to forgive him…so you might as well do it now. That anger will hurt you more than it ever will Spike. Will you come over for dinner tonight? Dawn wants to drive to the restaurant."

"Sure," Corinne sighed. "As long as Spike isn't there. I just can't deal with it right now. I want to hold on to this good feeling."

"The post-orgasmic feeling?" Tara asked slyly.

She grinned. "Yeah, that."

-------------

Corinne dropped by around 7 o'clock. Tara greeted her at the door with soapy hands.

"Would you do me a favor and move the wash load to the dryer? I got sidetracked while I was doing dishes," the Wicca asked.

"Sure, no problem. What setting?"

"Just regular permanent press. Thanks!" Tara smiled as Corinne went down to the basement. Now, for the other guest to arrive…

The door opened and shut with a bit of a bang, as a smoking vampire shed his protective blanket and stomped on it. Spike folded it up as Tara came into the foyer.

"Hey, Spike. Could you do me a favor and move that box down to the basement? It's just a bunch of my old schoolbooks," Tara requested sweetly.

"Sure, luv. No sense in letting the muscle go to waste," he replied.

Once she heard him halfway down the steps, Tara quietly closed the basement door and locked it with a minor incantation. They wouldn't be getting out that way until she let them. She smiled smugly to herself and dried her hands. Dawn came down from her room.

"All set for dinner, Dawn?"

"Yep. Is it just us?"

"Looks like!" She guided the teen out of the house before the banging started.

------------

"Oh, it's you," Corinne said disdainfully, as Spike came into view.

"I see the bitchy side is still in control. I said I was sorry multiple times, pet. What more do you want?"

"Forget it. Just leave me alone, okay?" She pushed past him to go up the stairs and leave. The knob spun, but the door wouldn't open. "What the hell?"

"Wha's wrong?"

"The door's stuck."

"It does that on humid days. Just put your weight into it a bit," Spike suggested. Corinne tried it, but it still didn't budge.

"It's not working."

Spike rolled his eyes. "Here, step aside. Let me try." He waited for Corinne to come down far enough so he could reach the door. Spike put his full shoulder into it, but it didn't move. _That's not right…_he thought. He changed into game face and listened. Not another heartbeat in the house. Sniffing at the door revealed traces of magic. "That sneaky witch!"

"What?" Corinne asked, slightly alarmed.

He chuckled. "Didn't know she had it in her," he muttered. "Glinda. She's locked us down here," Spike said so she could here.

"_What?!_ She couldn't…she didn't! TARA!!"

"Not gonna do any good to yell, luv. There's no one else in the house," Spike added, coming back down the stairs.

Corinne looked around the basement. "Help me out of one of those windows, then."

He shook his head. "Can't. They're sealed shut. This _is_ a Slayer's house."

"_Wonderful_," she replied sarcastically. "I'm going to kill her when she comes back. I'm hungry."

Spike rooted around in his duster pockets. "Want a mint?" he offered.

"Not really going to help," she said snidely. Corinne paced back and forth along the length of the basement, away from him.

Spike looked through the box of stuff he had under the cot. Nothing but a melted chocolate bar. _She'll bite my head off if I offer that._ Having nothing else to do, he stretched out on the bed to wait. Glinda would only be gone the time it took for her and the Bit to go to dinner. Her conscience wouldn't allow her to do otherwise.

Corinne just kept pacing and muttering to herself unintelligibly, occasionally glaring at Spike like this was all his fault. She couldn't believe Tara had tricked her! And after expressly telling her friend that she did not want to see Spike right now, too! Ooo, there was a blonde witch that was seriously going to pay when they got out of here!

Finally tiring of her glaring at him, Spike decided to talk. "So, how'd it go with Lover Boy?"

"It was a very nice evening, not that it's any of your business," she answered primly. Corinne sat down on a box across the basement and avoided looking at him.

He snorted, and muttered, "Yeah, I could _smell_ that."

"Excuse me?!" she cried, indignant.

"Nothing," he sighed in annoyance.

"No, you clearly said _something_. What should it matter to you whom I date? It's not like he was a demon!"

"You're _dating_ him now?!"

"No, but I could! Why do you have such a problem with that, Spike? I'm single, free to see whomever I want. If you're going to make a scene every time I'm out with a guy, then you can just take your act elsewhere," she replied, hands on her hips.

Spike opened his mouth to shoot back, but for once, his brain caught up with his mouth, and he wisely closed it. They sat in silence for a while, the atmosphere tense. Not surprisingly, it was Spike that disturbed the quiet.

"Why were you crying last night?"

Corinne sighed. "I'd had alcohol, I'm female, and you upset me by being a real jerk."

His head tilted, considering. "That's never made you cry before." The 'jerk' part.

"You've just never seen it." She was just so tired of pretending everything was fine.

"I _have_ made you cry before?" Spike asked in shock.

"Spike…don't…"

"Kitten…"

"Please don't call me that. I don't need the charm and the pet names." She still wouldn't look at him.

Spike nodded, swallowing the hurt. "Are you done with me, then?" he asked, his voice small.

_Why did he have to use that tone?_ She couldn't love him and cause that tremble in his voice. Why couldn't he still be a jerk and make this easy?

"No, even if I wanted to be," she answered on a mirthless laugh. It was either that, or start crying again. Corinne heard his shoes scuff the dirt as he crossed to where she was sitting. Her eyes were firmly fixed on her hands in her lap. She saw his knees as he crouched before her.

"For what it's worth, Corinne, I _am_ sorry. The thought of you casting me out…well, it hurts more than I'd bloody imagined. Please let me make it up to you. I'll do anything you want!" he said sincerely, his voice gruff with emotion.

"I don't know what…I know you're sorry, Spike. You can't lie for crap, except in poker. I just…don't know what else to tell you right now…"

Spike tilted his head down again, trying to get her to look at him, but he wasn't going to force her. "Last night…you said, when I kissed you…it was a violation. Did you mean that?"

She thought about it, already knowing the truth. She'd thrown the words out in anger and hurt, but that short kiss had been a dream come true, before her brain had caught up. Of course, she wanted his kiss…she loved him. "No," she whispered. He sighed in relief. "Don't pull that possessive crap on me again, though, okay?"

"It wasn't…well, it was, but…" He sputtered over the words, because he didn't really _know_ why he'd done it. "It was a reaction. I didn't think, I just…I'm sorry, it was out of line."

_Right, because she was only his friend._ "Yeah…let's just forget about it. I was a _little_ drunk, anyway. Words don't count."

Spike tried tilting her chin up and she didn't resist. "Are we good again, then?" he asked hopefully.

"I think you owe me something first."

"Name it," he said with a smile.

"Not yet. I have to think of something good," Corinne replied.

-------------

Tara came back an hour after she'd locked them down there, hoping there hadn't been bloodshed. She gingerly opened the door.

"Both of you still in one piece down there?"

"Yeah, Glinda. Your laundry's done, too."

"Corinne?"

"I'm here. And you're in big trouble." She came up the stairs first, Spike deferring to the lady.

Tara didn't look worried. "You two worked out your differences, then?"

The doctor glanced at Spike. "For now. I have yet to decide on what he owes me."

He rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "I think I'll toddle off like a good little vamp before I get into any more trouble. Ladies." Spike ruffled Dawn's hair, then grabbed his blanket and strolled off into the night. Tara turned back to Corinne.

"So?"

"So, I accepted his apology. If you were hoping to play matchmaker, I've told you. It's not going to happen." Corinne looked in the fridge for a quick snack. "Being with Michael last night, though…I really should start dating again. I've settled in at the hospital, my hours are more stable…it just makes sense."

"What about…you know?"

"I can't sit around waiting, Tara. It isn't healthy. I've been focused enough on my own angst, as it is."

The blonde nodded. "Are you going to see Michael again?"

Corinne shook her head. "We could have some fun, but no. It wouldn't really work, with the age gap. I might set him up with my sister, though. He really was a great guy."

"Who was?" Dawn asked, coming in the room.

"Just a guy I danced with. Did you have fun at the party?"

As Dawn began regaling them with all the birthday talk, Corinne pushed thoughts of Spike firmly from her mind. He'd pop up later in her dreams, anyway.


	19. Chapter 19

PG-13, with language.  
A surprise visit...

Chapter 19

The next evening, Corinne dropped a catalog in Spike's lap, with an item circled on the page in red pen.

"What's this, pet?"

"The payment for your debt."

"You want chocolate?" he asked, surprised.

"Not just any chocolate. Exotic truffles made to order. It's all there – the flavor I want, box size, price – and I know you're good for it."

"But, candy? Isn't that a bit cliché?" the vampire complained.

"Well, I could have asked for a new television, but I figured that was a bit much. Consider yourself lucky to get off for under $100, since you _did_ make a public scene," she replied.

"You're loving every bit of this," he pouted.

"Hey, you said 'name it'. So, I am." She wandered around his chair to say in his ear, "I might even share a nibble, if you're good." Corinne pranced off to the door, calling "Bye, Spike!" as she left.

Her husky tone inspired an unbidden image to go along with her words, that Spike shook away in favor of concentrating on the TV. Friends didn't fantasize about friends.

--------------

Corinne's new outlook on life was to try to enjoy the singles scene…and if Spike happened to see her do it, all the better. She wore a little more make-up to work, spent a little more time on her hair, and wore nicer clothes off duty. She was 'flirtatious girl that dances just out of reach', never going home with a guy from one of the clubs. Hooking up didn't interest her, at least with random strangers. And when Spike started showing up at The Bronze to watch over her, Corinne put in just a tiny bit more effort into her dancing. Just in case.

It took two weeks to get her chocolates. They arrived by courier to the hospital. Corinne eagerly opened the box and bit into one, her taste buds in ecstasy. Of course, all the nurses wanted to know where they came from, to which she coyly replied, "a friend." As soon as her shift was over, she drove to the cemetery to find her vampire.

It was early enough in the afternoon that she managed to sneak in while he was still asleep. The sheet was down to his waist, showing all those yummy abs. She sat on the edge of the bed and waved a chocolate under his nose. It twitched, but he didn't budge. Feeling playful, Corinne bit it in half and smeared a little of the crème from the center on his lower lip. The feeling of something foreign would guarantee that he'd lick it off. She only had to wait a minute for that, his wicked tongue poking out to remove the offending substance. Corinne couldn't help giggling at his slumbering attempts. The sound was finally enough to get Spike to stir, his eyelids fluttering open as he cleaned off the rest of the chocolate.

"Bit, it's not nice to tease a sleeping vamp," he grumbled, not opening his eyes, yet.

"It's not Dawn," she replied.

His sleepy lids opened halfway. "Hey, Doc. What's the deal with waking me two hours early?"

"My chocolates arrived. I wanted you to know," she replied simply.

"_That's_ what I'm tasting…"

"More pleasant than being yelled at, yes?"

He opened his eyes fully and glowered, propping himself up on his elbows. "Why are you so chipper?"

_Oooh, pouty!_ "Cuz these are to _die_ for," Corinne replied, popping the other half in her mouth and moaning.

_Oh, that so wasn't fair…_he thought. Didn't women realize that sound traveled straight south in a man's body? Especially one who'd only had the company of his own hand for eight months. And it was morning, well, on his schedule. Spike shifted so the covers hid the evidence.

"Want one?" she offered, holding up a truffle, a merry light in her grey eyes.

"So-" He cleared his throat and tried again. "So, you've deemed me a good boy?"

Corinne winked and said, "Good enough. Though…maybe I'll just give you half…" and bit into the chocolate, licking away the crumbs. "I couldn't monitor you 24/7," she teased. She held the other half over his mouth so he could take it if he wanted. The flick of his tongue to her fingers as he took it hadn't been expected. _Wicked boy._ In turn, Corinne took special care in cleaning off her chocolate stained fingers and watched his pupils dilate. _Classic biology._

Spike shrugged as he swirled the sweet around in his mouth. "Not bad," he said nonchalantly.

"Not _bad_! These are 85 the world's finest cocoa!"

"So…does the old adage ring true? Better than sex?" he teased, expecting her to blush.

She just smiled enigmatically and replied, "With some people."

"Anyone I know?" he joked.

"Of course not! It was a long time ago. First time, and all that…" Corinne laughingly answered.

"Hmm, do tell!"

"No! There's not much to say, anyway. It was…alright."

"One-night stand?"

"Unh-uh! Boyfriend. Next one was much better. He actually paid attention," she stated. "And why are we talking about my sex life?"

"I might as well get a sordid tale for being woken up early," Spike quipped.

Corinne snorted a laugh. "The most sordid thing in my past is my belly button ring. I was at school, or I worked. That was it."

"You have a belly button ring?"

"Well, a small stud. You really are the most clueless guy ever," she bluntly teased.

"Oi! I notice lots of things!"

"Yeah, with Dawn because you expect trouble, and with demons because it could mean your life. But every day details that don't really mean anything? You're as clueless as the next man."

"Well…I…I know how many freckles are on your nose. Hah!"

"So do I. That just means you see my face often. Face it, Spike, you're just not winning this one," she said matter-of-factly.

"I can, too," he retorted, grinning mischievously. His fingers attacked her sides. "I know it takes an exact count of 5 before you start yelling 'stop'. You always wear the same rings on the same fingers. You bite your thumbnail during the scary parts of movies. You always scoop around the bowl, leaving a mound of ice cream in the center. And…never complain about Glinda's cooking even though you like meat with every meal." Spike's mouth turned up in a smug grin. "And that's just off the top of my head."

Corinne just sat there, her jaw agape, in complete shock.

"Doc?" complete with the classic head tilt.

"I…" She gave up on words, and kissed him. Breaking it a few seconds later, she mumbled an apology and ran.

_Bloody hell…_

-------------

Corinne went straight to Tara. _Oh god, oh god, oh god…_ Tara took one look at her friend as she came in, and pulled the doctor upstairs to the bedroom where they would have some privacy.

"What's wrong, sweetie?"

"I…oh, god…uh…" Tara took hold of her shoulders to stop the pacing.

"Corinne, look at me. Breathe…that's it, just calm down a little and tell me what's wrong, okay?"

"I kissed Spike," she blurted out, resuming her panicked pacing.

"How did he respond?"

"I don't know. I ran. I didn't mean to do it, he'd just said these sweet things, and words failed me, and I just…kissed him. For, like, 3 seconds…and then I ran. Oh, god…I can never face him again. This is so embarrassing!"

"I'm surprised he didn't come after you," Tara stated.

"Well, uh…he would have needed clothes first." At Tara's shocked look, she added, "He'd just been sleeping! Covers covered the whole time, I promise!"

"I believe you, honey, just breathe… Maybe you should start from the beginning? Or…what did he say that inspired you to kiss him?"

Corinne sunk down on the bed. "Well, my chocolates arrived today, so I went over to tell him, and we were just talking about stuff…and I mentioned my belly button ring, which of course, he hadn't noticed, so I teased him about being clueless and missing the every day stuff that all men do, to which he started listing examples of little things he's noticed…about me. And…I just was in shock…and I kissed him. I couldn't get my mouth to work enough to say 'thank you', but apparently it works just fine for molesting my friend," she replied morosely.

"You didn't molest him! You just had an emotional moment. Could happen to anyone. This would be a perfect time to explain how you feel, you know," Tara persisted.

"And hear 'thanks, but no thanks'? No. Thank. You. I'll just die first."

"Corinne…maybe you're looking at this from the wrong angle. You were absolutely right that men don't notice common, little things, but Spike did. About you. He wouldn't bother to remember if it didn't matter to him."

"So, fine…he's a perceptive friend. That still doesn't mean he _likes_ me, likes me. Spike wears his heart on his sleeve. It was plain as day around Buffy. Do you really think he wouldn't mention it if it was me, instead? Emotions _burst_ out of him, you know that."

"Did Spike ever tell you how he told Buffy he loved her?" At Corinne's negative response, Tara launched into the story. "As Buffy relayed it, he took her on a fake stake-out, tried to convince her that 'feelings develop in the work place', then kidnapped her later once Dru came to town. He chained Buffy up so she'd have to listen to him, even offered to stake Drusilla to prove he was telling the truth. Of course, as Spike plans often go when he doesn't think things through, the night didn't go well. She did a disinvite spell once she got home. Then, you know how…tumultuous their relationship was after Buffy come back. There's every possibility, after what most people would call an absolute disaster, that he's refusing to acknowledge feelings other than the ones he's used to."

"Used to? That sounds wonderful," Corinne sarcastically commented.

"Forgive the psych major, but, at least with Buffy, he knows what he's dealing with, what he's in for. It's painful, but reliable, and he's had enough experience to manage it. With someone new, it could bring a whole new kind of pain, and so he stays on the Buffy loop. And…giving Buffy up means giving up a dream he's had for a long time." Tara frowned, as that didn't end up sounding as helpful as she'd meant.

"Yeah, yeah, I know…she's the goddess, the ideal, the _Slayer_. Every possible thing I'm not, which is why I haven't tried. But we've had this conversation before. I'll just avoid him for a couple days until this blows over, and we'll pretend it never happened. _If_ he asks, I'll just say it was in gratitude, and that I feel really embarrassed." Corinne buried her face in her hands. "I came to this town to _avoid_ complications in my life! I didn't want any attachments or distractions while I worked. I wish I'd never come out the alley door of the police station…"

"No, you don't," Tara reasoned.

She sighed, and looked up at the witch. "You're right, I don't regret helping him. It was just as likely that he wouldn't make it home alone as he would, so…but I wish I hadn't gotten involved, not like this. I don't even know why _him_…"

"If he was human, instead of a vampire, but the same, would it help?" Tara pondered aloud.

"It'd be easier to be together, but there'd still be Buffy in the way. Especially since she'd probably jump all over _that_," she replied with disdain.

"You've been talking to Dawn again."

"The girl's a chatterbox, what can I say? She'd spill her whole life story if you asked her to." Corinne rubbed at her eyes. "God, I'm tired…we're just going to keep going in circles talking about this, so I'm gonna head home, okay?"

"Alright." Tara hugged her friend. "Take care of yourself…have a bubble bath, or something."

"Thanks. I'm sorry to keep dumping this on you. You must be sick to death of hearing me moan about Spike." They left the bedroom and went downstairs.

"Hey, what are friends for? Call if you need to, 'kay?"

"Yeah. Good night, Tara." Corinne closed the front door behind her.

-------------

She'd barely been home 10 minutes, when someone started pounding on her door.

"Who is it?!" she yelled.

"It's me!" _Spike._

Corinne groaned and unlocked the door, finding the vampire on the other side. He stepped forward and ran into the barrier blocking him out.

"I've been looking for you all over, luv. Why did you run off?"

"Why? _Why?_ I made a complete fool of myself. It was totally embarrassing. Please go, so I can be mortified in peace!" She started to close the door.

"Not this game again…Corinne, please! Just leave the bloody door open until I've finished, alright? I'm not upset, luv, really. I've had much worse reactions to running my mouth." He tried making a joke, but she wasn't laughing.

"Fine, you're not upset, I'm going to forget about it, let's say goodnight and let tomorrow be a new day." Closing the door again.

"Damnit, Cori, will you stop hiding from me?! You want to know everything about everybody else, but you won't let anyone in the bloody door! Is it so terrible to let people care about you?" he exclaimed.

"I came here to focus on my job, my training…this assignment was always going to be temporary. Attachments would have been counterproductive," she replied.

"But you _did_ get involved, and it's eating you up that you didn't follow your little plan to the letter. Be a control freak at the hospital, pet…you don't need it with us."

"Spike…it's complicated…"

"So, simplify it for me. I'm trying to understand the mood swings, Doc, because I know you're not crazy. I _know_ crazy," he replied.

"I…I can't. It won't do any good. I'm sorry." Corinne closed and locked the door, then retreated to her bedroom, which had no outside walls.

_Damnit!_ Spike hit the door in frustration, then stomped off. If Corinne wouldn't give him answers, then maybe Glinda would.

-------------

Spike walked into 1630 Revello to have his senses assaulted with a scent he hadn't been around in a long time.

"Buffy?" he whispered in disbelief. The Slayer came out of the kitchen to see who'd entered the house.

"Hi, Spike. Long time no see," she said quietly, with a soft smile.

"Buffy? You, uh…you look good pet," he choked out, his mouth suddenly dry as a bone.

She blushed, faintly. Her hair had grown long in the passing months, and she'd put on a little weight. "Sorry for dropping in unannounced, but we don't have a lot of spare time. I got Dawn's letter…and I just had to see her. Though, I expected her to be at my aunt's," she added with a frown.

Spike started defending Dawn's decision. "Now, I know the news was unexpected, Slayer, but we did our best to discourage her and lay out all the serious crap. This was _her_ decision, and if she hadn't presented herself well, that tough old judge wouldn't have granted her emancipation for all the dosh in L.A. The Bit's worked damn hard to pull her own weight around here…she's even buying her first car on Saturday, now that school's started. But you wouldn't know about all the changes, would you…what with gallivanting around Europe and beyond." Okay, so he was a little peeved with her for dropping Dawn and the house in their laps.

"_Gallivanting?_ I've been saving Potentials from being slaughtered, Spike. I wouldn't call that a pleasure cruise," she replied defensively. The patented Buffy glare was in effect.

"Hey, I get that you have a job to do, but you also have, or _had_, responsibilities here, Slayer. Your sister, the house, your mother's debts…all yours to take care of, and after you were well again, you just flaked. You _abandoned_ Dawn with hardly a word, and she's tough, but we knew it cut her deeply. All that girl's known in her short, actual life is loss! You could have at least had the decency to explain what was going through your daft head over the phone, instead of sending her cute bloody postcards!" Spike said loudly.

"I'm _sorry_, okay?! But I'm supposed to be dead, and since I can't be that, I have a responsibility to the world, and that means all those girls like me, who _could_ be me. This is bigger than any of us…bigger than the responsibilities of a 'normal' life! I don't have the _luxury_ of that life! The good of many _has_ to outweigh the good of one, or in this case, two! Honestly, I don't even know how long I can keep this up…we've had some pretty close calls…and…I wanted to see everyone, in person, in case I…can't," Buffy huffed. Well, it was more fight than he'd seen out of her in a long time. Too bad it wasn't aimed at keeping her family.

"Nice comfort for Dawn when you're not there to see her get her diploma. Enjoy your death wish, Slayer." Spike pushed past her into the kitchen, hoping to find Tara. Willow, Tara, and Giles sat at the dinner table, trying to pretend they hadn't heard all the shouting. "Glinda, may I have a quick word?"

"Of course, Spike," she replied. They went out to the backyard, where it was most private. "What's up?" she asked, concerned.

"I just came from Corinne's…"

"Ohhh…"

"Oh? There's a lot of weight behind that 'oh', pet. What am I missing here? I get the sense that there's this giant bloody anvil in the room, but I can't see it." She could tell he was frustrated – Spike was already running his hands through his hair and mussing the slicked down curls.

Tara's expression was sympathetic. "I can't tell you, Spike. I wish I could, but I promised. You're going to have to get it from Corinne."

"I thought you'd say that, but it couldn't hurt to ask…a hint, maybe? Anything to point me in the right direction…I want to help," he said earnestly.

"It's not your _help_ she's looking for, Spike. So…what just happened in there? I thought you'd be jumping for joy to see Buffy again?" Tara tried for distraction, before she'd slip on her promise.

He looked sheepish. "Part of me is, luv, but the bigger part…the part that's been with Dawn since the shooting…well, I just couldn't help getting angry on my Niblet's behalf. Seeing Buffy, looking well and gorgeous, it just kind of set me off, you know? She's not even really sorry for abandoning Dawn…and after everything we all went through to save that girl's life." He sighed. "I guess she feels she's given her sister the best shot this way, but it was a hard knock to take. Dawn deserved better."

Tara nodded. "I can't say I wholly disagree. But, maybe it is better this way. Her aura is calmer, more at peace, than when I last read her, but it's like she's just accepted it, instead of deciding to live. I never expected to read an aura like that in someone so young…it's so sad. Like…Slaying is all she can do. Giles has noticed, too. He looks at her like he's worried when her back is turned. I hope this visit won't be too hard on Dawn."

"So do I. I could curse that blighter through all the levels of Hell for taking away the light in Buffy's eyes. She was just starting to try again, before that bastard shot her. I still love her, Glinda, but I really feel that it's too late for anyone to change her mind. She has to want it again. God, it's like watching her die in slow motion…I don't know how the Watcher can stand it." His hands itched for a cigarette, so he pulled out his pack and lighter, offering one to Tara.

"No, thanks. I still have to go back inside. Dawn should be home from work, soon. Will you…prepare her?"

He nodded, smiling gratefully at the blonde for her understanding. "Yeah, pet. I'll keep an eye out."

She patted his shoulder reassuringly, then rejoined the others inside. Spike moved to his tree, where he could watch the front and the back of the house.

-------------

Dawn parked her car, to see Spike standing at the tree with a pile of cigarettes at his feet. _Whoa…déjà vu!_

"Spike? Did you get your memory turned back or something?"

He chuckled, and stubbed the most recent smoke. "Nah, Bit, nothing so dramatic as that. There is a bit of a…situation, though."

"Oh?" she asked, immediately sobering. "What's wrong?"

"Not wrong…just…important. Your, uh, your sister's back…for a bit." Dawn squealed and started to run inside. He caught her arm and stopped her. "Wait, Bit, there's something you need to know first. Buffy, she's…changed, some. Well, you'll see it when you look into her eyes, but…she's not the same Buffy from before the shooting. Glinda and I, we just wanted you to be prepared. She's not staying long, sweetheart."

"Oh. Okay. I guess I knew it would be like that, with her out saving the world, and all. I'm okay, Spike. I've had the time to realize who my sister really is," Dawn replied.

Spike looked upon her proudly, smoothing her hair affectionately. She slid under the raised arm to wrap hers around his waist, and they turned for the house, taking matching steps up the porch.

-----------

"Dawn…" Buffy breathed, upon seeing her sister. She looked her up and down, before adding, "Goodness, you look so grown up. It's only been 4 months, but…wow…"

"Thanks. You look good, too," she replied politely.

"So, uh, there were some things I wanted to talk with you about. I'm, um, considering selling the house, and I wanted to know how you feel about that now. It's totally unfair of me that all of you have been paying to keep this place as-is. Giles tells me the market's doing well, so…hopefully, we'd get a profit from the sale…and I want to split that with you…you know, if we do this now." She looked at Willow and Tara, too. "Unless you guys are totally cool with making this place yours, and I'll just move my stuff out so you can rent the room…if you're not already." Typical Buffy babbling.

"No, it's still as you left it, Buffy," Tara stated.

"Okay. Well, talk it over, and just give me an answer by the time we leave. I don't want to put you guys on the street…obviously."

"That's…fair," Dawn added.

Buffy nodded, and moved on to her next topic. "Okay…well, besides spending some quality time with all of you, Giles needs to do some research…and I need to keep up my training, so we'll be at The Magic Box. Are Xander and Anya coming over?"

"Their ringer's off," Willow replied.

"Ohhh."

"Willow, I'd love to discuss how you've been doing with patrols, as well," Giles added. "And Tara, I have a list of healing potions I need your assistance with. Dawn, I need your signature on a few, uh, documents, when you have a moment."

"You don't have to sugarcoat things, Giles. I'm 16, not 10."

"Er, quite. And, er, Spike…has there been any unusual activity in the Underworld?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary, Rupes. But then, summer's barely ending. It always takes a bit to warm up around the Hellmouth," he stated obviously.

"Uh, yes, of course…I suppose we'll be heading here in spring. So, how are your classes?" he asked, addressing the girls.

Spike felt his presence was no longer required, so he made for the door.

"Spike, wait!" Buffy called, as he stepped on the porch.

"Yeah, Slayer?" he replied without turning around, his back tense.

"I just wanted to say that I didn't come back to argue with you. And…I want to know what exactly Dawn's learned so far. She's only 16, still, and…"

"Don't trust me, Slayer? Even _now_? I thought we were past this, Buffy. Look, she's not smoking, not drinking, not whoring around. Between Glinda, Doc, and myself we know all her friends, and their parents. We even made sure nothin' happened to 'em at The Bronze on Dawn's birthday. How, exactly, is that corrupting your sister?"

"I…it's just…she wouldn't tell me if she'd gotten into trouble, you know? So…" Buffy squirmed uncomfortably.

"Yeah, whatever. Guess being around a Watcher 24/7 is rubbing off, eh? Don't feel bad, Slayer, you're just following your nature. We can't all be expected to grow beyond ours." He turned and started down the porch steps again.

"Spike, that's not what I meant. I've never been good at saying what I'm trying to…I know you try your best around Dawn! Can we…I'd like…can we spend some time together, like before? I still owe you dinner…"

Spike studied her expression. "To achieve what, luv? All you had to do before was come home. We would have welcomed you with open arms, even if you had to work shit out. What do you want of me, Buffy…really? You hinted at being friends once, and then you let me kiss you…I'm just tired of the games."

Her gaze dropped to her feet. "I don't know…other than that I want you in my life. If there were more time…"

"And wishes were horses…yeah, I know. The day you suss it out, well, you know the rest…"

"So, you don't feel the same about me anymore?" she asked sadly.

"Buffy, I love you…probably always will, but I've realized that respect is important, too, and honesty, and knowing I'm not just something to scrape off your boot. Slayer, you nearly broke me, and while I love you, I don't trust you…and I didn't realize how important that was until others started trusting me. If you wanted to take the time, maybe that could change…" he shrugged helplessly.

She nodded in acceptance. "But, I don't have it…my timing always sucks, doesn't it? Maybe…maybe you could come help? I'm not too proud to admit that I could use a good partner to watch my back. Giles does what he can, but he's not super-powered…"

Spike shook his head. "I'd only slow you down, Slayer, only moving around at night. Those girls need your speed, yeah? You get in a bind and need some muscle, I'm your vamp and you know where to find me."

"Okay. You're probably right about the travel thing. I hadn't thought of that. Well, I'd still like to get some coffee or something while I'm here…and I do miss my sparring partner," she replied, with a crooked grin.

He smirked in return. "Alright, Slayer. We'll see what you've got still after all that time off. I've got some new tricks up my sleeve, you know."

"Can't wait. I'm still gonna kick your ass, though." Buffy opened the door to go back inside.

Spike laughed, and left.

-------------

His feet carried him back to Corinne's, lost in thought as he was. Spike couldn't believe that Buffy had offered a crumb, and he'd basically turned it down, but it just wasn't their time.


	20. Chapter 20

Rated R, just to be safe.  
Disclaimer: All BTVS/Angel characters belong to Joss and Co. I'm just playing with them. Original characters are mine.  
Well, this is the end, folks. I hope you enjoy it and find it satisfying. And now, Chapter 20 awaits...

Chapter 20

_His feet carried him back to Corinne's, lost in thought as he was. Spike couldn't believe that Buffy had offered a crumb, and he'd basically turned it down, but it just wasn't their time._ Was it? Spike hadn't thought of himself as wishy-washy since the days of William, but right now… Was he being too hasty in turning down Buffy's offer to join her fight? Was he a coward for not giving her the benefit of the doubt? The Slayer's attitude towards him had clearly softened, but was there enough there to take the leap of faith? Spike looked up, surprised to find himself in front of Corinne's apartment building, and decided to take it as an omen. If anyone could help him figure out the most reasonable conclusion, it was her.

He knocked on the door, hoping it wasn't too late, since the living room light was off. A lamp turned on, and then he heard the locks being turned.

"Spike? What are you doing here? It's after midnight," Corinne said. She was wearing a baby tee and boxer shorts, obviously ready for bed.

He looked down, embarrassed. "Sorry, I didn't realize. I can come back tomorrow…"

Something in his expression made her consider, so she stopped him. "No, it's okay…"

"No, really…you have work, probably, so I'll just talk to you later, pet."

"You sure?" she asked, concerned.

He nodded. "It's nothing that can't wait. Sleep well, Doc." Spike left before she could learn anymore.

_Okaaaay, that was weird._ Corinne shut the door and went back to bed.

-------------

The next evening, Buffy was at his crypt at sundown to invite him to spar, which he gladly accepted. No other opponent had ever challenged him like she had, made the fight as fun. He couldn't resist gloating when he had her pinned on the ground in less than five minutes.

"You're slow, Slayer. I'd be draining your life dry right now, if I was so inclined."

She smiled tauntingly as they circled each other. "Maybe I just let you win the first round."

Spike laughed mockingly at the concept. "Yeah, and I'm the Queen of England. Face it, luv. Training with Gramps over there hasn't been giving you enough of a challenge. It's why those eyeless blokes are getting a bit close with the blades. We're patrolling the cemeteries as soon as we've had our warm-up here."

"You really think _you_ can teach her better?" Giles asked haughtily.

He grinned evilly. "I know I can, Watcher. 150 years of experience, here. When's the last time you saw the interior of a dojo?"

"Point accepted. Buffy, if you feel comfortable, let's try the exercise blindfolded."

"Uh, yeah…I guess." Having to use her Slayer senses helped, somewhat, though Spike was still able to read her too easily. After Buffy landed on her back 3 times in a row, he called a halt to practice and decided it was time to get out into the real world.

Spike hung back as she killed each demon, watching, critiquing, and calling out her mistakes. It annoyed her, which was exactly his intention. He knew his Slayer well enough that she needed to rediscover the joy in the fight, the confidence in being in control. Familiar ground + familiar kills could bring her that.

"At least the Watcher finally got you to wear sensible boots on the job, Slayer. Heels are sexy, but not practical for fighting. Never understood how you did it in those ridiculous platforms in high school," he commented, once they were done with the sweep. "This way. All-night diner two blocks over serves breakfast 24 hours a day. You'll like the milkshakes."

"How do you know?" Curious hazel eyes looked up at him.

"Because your sister does. A few more nights like this, and you'll be ready to get back out there, pet. Felt good, yeah? The wind blowing through your hair as you chase down a vamp…"

She smiled. "Yeah, it did, actually. I thought I'd be glad to never see this place again. Giles even had to talk me into coming here."

"It makes sense, Buffy. You've died twice in Sunnydale…but it's also been your home. And home is about the familiar, whether all the memories are good, or not. Dawn's glad you're here, even if she's not sure how to be."

"Yeah, I kinda sensed that. Is that how you feel about England…the familiar thing?" she asked curiously.

"Parts of it. I grew up in London. You mentioned liking it there."

"Well, at least in summer. It sounds corny, but I thought about how I was seeing a lot of the same places you have…wondering if they looked the same." She blushed.

He grinned. "Thought about me a lot, did you?"

She indicated a small space with her thumb and index finger. "A little, while I was sightseeing. It's not like I know a lot of Brits…"

Her backpedaling didn't dampen his spirits any. "Uh-huh. In you go, Slayer. I'm sure you've worked up an appetite," Spike stated, opening the door to the diner. She no longer complained about his gentlemanly gestures.

-------------

Two more nights passed, before Spike got a chance to talk to Corinne alone.

"I wanted to get your advice, Doc…"

"Okay. What's up?" They sat in the little Chinese restaurant they'd been frequenting for months.

"Well, the Slayer asked me to come fight with her, watch her back, see…and I've been considering it. I'm just not sure if it's the best idea, though."

"Go."

"Huh?"

"You should go," she elaborated. "If you don't, you're just going to wonder 'what if', especially if something happens…to her. Take two or three weeks, or whatever, and try it out."

"Really?" he said, surprised. "I thought for sure you'd tell me no."

"Was I supposed to? Because if this was one of those moments where I'm supposed to talk you out of it, I needed a little warning."

"No, no…I wanted your honest opinion. It's just seemed like you weren't too keen on her, that's all," he explained.

"Well, I'm not fond of her past behavior, or her abandonment of Dawn, but I think you owe yourself the chance. It isn't my decision to make, it's about _your_ life. I'll support you, either way."

Spike squeezed her hand. "Thanks, pet. I appreciate it."

"So, when do you leave?" she asked, fearing the answer.

"Uh, tomorrow night. Slayer could only spare five days. The Watcher won't be thrilled, but you're right. It'll drive me bug shagging crazy going over all the scenarios. Mind dropping me off at the house after this?"

"Of course not," Corinne replied. "What are friends for?"

-------------

Giles had arranged for the Council jet to leave after dark. At least on the trip back to Europe, Spike would be protected from the sun. They'd have to do some creative traveling after that.

The Scooby group assembled in the hangar to say goodbyes. Gifts were exchanged, as well as contact numbers. Corinne pulled Spike aside after he'd had his moment with Dawn.

She held up a pendant on a cord. "This is the Japanese symbol for luck. My uncle picked it up while he was stationed overseas and wore it through 6 years of service." She slipped the cord around his neck. "Can't hurt," she shrugged. Spike hugged her and kissed her cheek.

"Thanks, Doc. I won't lose it. Keep an eye on Dawn for me, eh?"

"I will. Keep in touch…it'll drive her crazy to hear nothing the whole trip." _And me._

He looked affronted. "As if I'd do that! She knows she has me wrapped around her little bloody finger."

Corinne giggled. "I know. You better go, they're gesturing for you and Mr. Giles looks impatient."

He looked back at the plane, and held up two fingers at Giles. "Pillock always has to keep to his soddin' schedules. I swear, he could suck the fun out of a rave. Take care, kitten." Spike hoisted his duffle on his shoulder, got one more hug from Dawn, and boarded the jet.

She moved to stand next to the teen, putting an arm around her shoulders, Tara on the other side. Willow stood a few steps away, with Xander and Anya. They all waved, Dawn with tears streaking down her cheeks, until the jet started to taxi out of the hangar towards the runway. Corinne was the last to walk out.

"I love you," she whispered. "Please come back."

-------------

It was the longest three and a half weeks of her life. He sent a few letters from remote locations – it took a long time for them to arrive because of the distance. They came to 1630 Revello, addressed to M.G. ("My girls," he'd explained in the first letter.) Spike's old-fashioned script told vivid details of the locations they saw, interesting characters they met…the fight details were edited, most likely for young eyes. The last came a few days before he came home, and was a week late from when it had been mailed. The only warning of his return came in a call from the airport about an item that needed to be picked up.

Corinne happened to be at the house helping Dawn with her math homework. She answered the phone while the teen was in the bathroom.

"Is this the Summers' residence?"

"Yes it is. May I take a message?"

"There's a package that needs to be picked up by tomorrow addressed to 1630 Revello, Sunnydale. Do I have the right address?"

"Yep. Can anyone sign for it? I can come down there now."

"I'd appreciate that, ma'am. I'd really like to go home on time."

"Okay, just give me directions to where to go, and I'll be on my way." She wrote down the info on a pad, then left another note for Dawn, and left.

Getting to "Receiving" at the airport, she was in for another surprise.

"You didn't mention is was a shipping crate. Are you sure this is the write one?"

"Yeah, it's addressed to Miss Summers, Miss Larkin, Miss Maclay, or Miss Rosenberg."

"Well, I'm Miss Larkin. Do you mind if I open it here? I don't have room for this in my car."

"Sure, ma'am, let me get you the crowbar." The clerk went to his office and returned a minute later with the tool. "You need help?"

"Nah, I think I'll manage. Thanks." He nodded, and went back in the office to do paperwork.

The large, cubical crate was stamped with "Open This Side", so that's the one she worked on prying off. It fell off to reveal a huddled up pale vampire, looking just this shade of dead.

"Spike!" she gasped. He extended his legs with pops and groans.

"Oh, god, that was torture. I ever see that Watcher again, I'm going to feed him his intestines through his nose," he grumbled. "Give a bloke a hand out, pet?"

Corinne's shock wore off and she hurried to meet his request, taking both hands to help him stand. As Spike leaned on the box a moment to get his bearings, she picked up the blankets and duffle bag.

"Why on earth were you in a crate?" she whispered. "You look like hell!"

"Watcher's idea. Only airport near our location handled shipping, not passenger flights. I thought he'd get a bigger crate, though."

"Well, let's get out of here before the clerk notices a person was in that crate." She helped the limping vampire towards the door, calling, "Good night!" to the clerk once they were out of sight.

Spike was dirty, wounded, and very hungry. It'd been about two days since he'd fed, he thought. The passage of time felt a little wonky in a dark crate crossing several zones by air. Corinne's car was thankfully under an overhang, as the sun hadn't fully set, yet. She spread one of the blankets over the seat, then helped him inside. The vampire drifted off as they drove back to Sunnydale. He didn't stir when she stopped at the butcher's, then continued to her apartment.

By the time they arrived, it was dark. She gently touched his face to rouse him.

"Spike…wake up. Time to come inside and eat."

"Hmm? I think you took a wrong turn, pet. This isn't my crypt," he rasped.

"Nope, right location. I have a tub with hot water inside, and we're going to get you cleaned up."

He was too tired to argue, secretly looking forward to the hot water, and allowed her to help him walk to the door.

"Come in, Spike." The barrier disappeared.

Corinne set his duffle bag down, then helped him remove his coat and draped it on the sofa. She then helped him hobble into the bathroom and set him on the closed toilet while she fiddled with the taps.

"You don't have to help, Doc. I've taken a bath before."

"Spike, don't be stubborn. You can barely move. Just let me make this a little easier, okay?" Her expression told him she wouldn't take no for an answer, so he caved with a sigh and waited.

Once the water temp was to her liking, Corinne started to help remove his clothes, peeling off the blood caked sweater he was wearing, then crouching down to unlace his boots. The pendant was still around his neck.

"Ugh, it smells like you've been trekking through swamp water!" she grimaced.

"We did."

"Oh. Do you have anything clean in your bag? If not, I'll toss some stuff in the machines."

"Um, I don't think so. I tend to pack light, and I've already gone through everything once."

She nodded, and turned off the taps before the tub overflowed. "Do you, uh, need any help?" gesturing to his pants.

He smiled at her attempt not to blush. "I think I can manage, Doc."

"Okay. Holler once you're in, and I'll bring you some blood." Corinne left a couple towels within reach, and left.

Spike wriggled out of his combat pants without putting too much weight on his injured knee and lowered himself into the steaming water with a blissful sigh. Thoughtful girl had even filled the tub with unscented bubbles. It was the most luxurious thing he'd experienced in a very long while. He must have drifted off again, for her knock on the door startled him.

"Spike? Are you decent?"

"Important bits covered, luv."

The scent of warm blood flooded his senses as soon as she pushed open the door, and he vamped. Her eyes widened at seeing him in game face, but she didn't comment on it.

"Sorry," he felt like saying, anyway. "I'm really hungry." Spike started gulping down the blood as soon as she handed him the mug.

"It's okay. I told you, I don't mind seeing it. So, what brought you home?"

He handed the empty mug back to her. "As you can see, I got injured. The Watcher saw me as a liability, since it was bad enough not to heal overnight, and shipped me home. Not so bad, really. Spending three weeks with a Slayer without her creature comforts? Not a pleasant trip. I love the bint, but the constant complaining whenever we weren't fighting some nasty really got on the nerves. I'm amazed the Watcher hasn't killed her, yet, or at least slipped her a sedative. God, this water feels heavenly."

Corinne started washing the cuts on his head with a cloth. "Didn't change the way you feel about her, though?" she ventured.

"Well, it turns out…Buffy and I don't have a lot in common. The three of us spent most of our time alone, and I ended up talking more with the old man than the Slayer. I know her, you know, and there's chemistry…but all we've really shared is the same history. I'll always love her, because that's the type of sort I am, but it's…tempered. Looked like she kind of felt the same way, by the time I left. I don't know…I'm prob'ly not explaining it well…"

"No, I understand. You have a bond, and probably always will, but it's not a 'forever love' kind. And that's okay…at least you two have ended on a good note?"

"Yeah…I think another reason Rupert wanted me gone was the bickering. Buffy and I, we fight, it's what we do…even when we're getting along. I think he was ready to tear his hair out," the vampire chuckled.

"Like two kids on a road trip," Corinne teased. She continued washing the spots he couldn't see, bathing the back of his neck. Spike closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. "I missed you," she said, after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

A smile teased his lips, though his eyes remained closed. "Same here, pet. I kept wanting to tell you, or the Niblet, something, and you weren't there. Did you get my letters?"

"Four. Did you send more?"

"Just one. Guess I beat it here. I have some trinkets for the three of you in my bag."

"Ooo, I like presents. How did you get injured?" There were cuts on his face and scalp, a few scabbed over wounds on his chest, and his left knee was swollen and purple.

"Ambush. We got jumped by several of these eyeless buggers with long, curved knives. Got a few slices in on me as I was keeping an eye on the Slayer. She'd only been asleep a couple hours, so I knew her reaction time would be slow. Got stabbed in the side, here," he pointed to his right flank. "And twisted my knee taking a hit for Buffy. Noticed it was dislocated once the fight was over. Slayer helped me reset it, but I'd be in no shape to travel without a few days to heal. I downed all but two bags of my stash of blood, slept, and the next evening, Rupert packed me off."

"My God, Spike! You were stuck in that crate for three days with a busted knee?! It's a wonder it wants to move at all!" she exclaimed.

"Vampire, pet. We heal, regardless; just it's a lot faster with food. Give me a bit, and I'll be right as rain."

"But…how could he have stuffed you in that box in your condition? Geez, they could have just moved on and let you get home in your own time!" she added angrily.

Spike was equally amused and touched. "Look, pet, I'm not holding grudges. The Watcher and I work well together in combat, but there're no fuzzy feelings between us. So, when he has an injured vampire slowing down his mission, he's not going to hop to, to get me the best accommodations." She was still visibly upset.

"Well…didn't Buffy complain? I would've," Corinne huffed.

He didn't answer the questions, but raised a soapy hand to cup her cheek. "I'm touched you think I'm worth so much fuss. Just…think of it as a prank on ol' Spike. I've done worse, in my day."

"I…" _Say it!_ "I care about you." _Chicken!_

He smiled softly, holding her gaze for a moment, the dropped his hand and leaned forward. "Do you mind reaching my back, since you're here?"

"Not at all." She squeezed some plain soap onto a bath sponge and spread the lather in circles across his back. "Feel good?"

"Mmm…"

There was enough of a ledge at the end of the tub that she could sit on it, and Corinne had an idea. "Scoot forward a little bit." She was wearing shorts, so she just slipped her shoes and socks off, then stepped in behind him, minding that her feet didn't get "friendly". Seated on the shelf, she started kneading his shoulders. "Is this okay?"

"Yeah…don't stop. That feels bloody marvelous." His body had soaked up the heat of the water, making him feel like a human was leaning against her knees, except for the lack of heartbeat. Of course, Spike's hands could never be idle, and soon found her feet. He slid a finger under the curve of the arch.

"Spike!"

"Hmm?"

"You know what you did. You tickle me, I jump, and I either kick you, or the water sloshes all over the floor. And if you make a mess of my floor, you're cleaning it up."

"Bossy chit, aren't you?" he teased.

"Your favorite kind, i'n't?"

"Stealing my words again?"

"More like lazy speech. And I know I'm not the only ticklish one, so you behave!"

Spike tipped his head back and arched a brow at her. "Where's the fun in that?"

Corinne rolled her eyes. "Baths are for fun when you're _five_. This is therapeutic."

He swiveled his head around and gave her his best leer. "Oh, I can think of lots of fun adults can have in a bath," he purred.

_He's just teasing you._ "I forgot – the voice of experience," she said dryly, swallowing her desire.

"Ouch, kitten. You can put away the claws for the night. I'm too tired to be batted around." Spike turned around and concentrated on using the washcloth on his feet.

Corinne frowned and bent closer to him. "I'm sorry…I meant to tease you, not insinuate anything. You were with a woman for over 100 years…of course you've done things. That's what couples do." Her fingers played with the little curling hairs at his nape as she spoke. Spike couldn't help leaning in the hand, encouraging her to continue.

"I know. I'm just cranky from being stuck in a box." He brushed an almost imperceptible kiss on the knee he was leaning against. "You're so good to me, luv…"

"Shhh, you're tired. We should get you out of this bath before you're all pruny. Would you like some more blood?" She stood to step out of the tub, but a strong hand topped her from getting out.

"You won't go far?"

She brushed a hand through his damp curls and smiled reassuringly. "I'm just going to put your clothes in the dryer, and then I'll be back with some blood." He nodded, and released her leg.

By the pink in the water, some of his wounds had reopened, so she got out her first-aid kit, as well. Coming back in the house, she heard the shower turn on as he rinsed the suds off, and put the mug of blood in the microwave. Since the only thing dry he had to wear was a towel, Corinne looked through her closet to find something decent. The closest thing she had to fitting him was a blue flannel robe she used in winter, so she hung it on the inner hook attached to the bathroom door. The dryer would be done in an hour.

Leave it to Spike to make flannel look sexy. His hair curled freely about his head, darker roots just beginning to show. The robe only closed enough to partially cover his chest, leaving a glistening sliver exposed down the middle. The sleepy eyes just made him look adorable and kissable. She willed away her wandering thoughts and focused on making him comfortable. He managed to hobble to the couch.

"Okay, here's some more blood. Are your wounds bleeding again? I noticed pink in the water."

"Not really. That was more what I couldn't wash off out in BFE."

"Let me take a look at these in the light, just in case." He knew from past experience to just humor her, so Spike shrugged the robe off his shoulders. Corinne examined the stitches in his side first. "Well, these are small, but a bit crude. If you were human, you'd have a nasty scar." She shifted to kneeling in front of him. The small slice across his upper abdomen had been under the water long enough to loosen the scab and start oozing, so she dabbed some ointment on it and applied a bandage. "Any wounds on your legs?"

"Nah, just the bum knee."

"Well, at least it's not as purple, now." She gently probed the joint, feeling for misplaced cartilage and such, mumbling the anatomy of the knee as a checklist. Relieved that the damage wasn't severe, Corinne took an ace bandage out of the kit and wrapped his knee, making sure it was snug, since she didn't have to worry about cutting off his circulation.

Spike could feel the touch of her warm hands everywhere they'd been on his cooling skin. He longed for the feeling to last. It'd been so long since he'd been touched with any tenderness.

"Does it hurt much? If so, we could try a little morphine. I don't know how it would effect you, since you don't have circulation, but I suppose it couldn't hurt, either." She looked up and stopped at the look on his face. It's meaning was indiscernible. "What?"  
She didn't know when he had leaned that close.

"It doesn't hurt," he murmured, and closed the gap between them, brushing his lips against hers.

Corinne stiffened in shock for a moment, then whimpered as his tongue lightly swept across her lips. She breathed into the kiss, returning it, as he heart pounded in her chest and ears. She was amazed that he was going slow, imagining before that his kiss would be like a passionate attack of feeling. Oh, this was so much sweeter, and made her want more. Assured that she wasn't going to pull away, Spike brought her up to his lap, one hand tangled in her hair, the other at her waist. Corinne brushed her hands over his shoulders to rest behind his neck, playing with the curls as they learned each other's mouths.

He finally let her breathe, their foreheads pressed together as they panted for air.

"What was that about?" she whispered. Volume would only break the spell.

"I dreamed about you, while I was gone. I just couldn't resist anymore. You taste amazing," he replied, just as quiet.

She giggled quietly, then bit her lip. "So, just an experiment, then?" she needed to know, looking into his eyes.

His gaze flicked over her face, before he replied, "Not if you don't want it to be."

Corinne shook her head. "I don't." She captured his lips again, expressing her desire for him. He moaned and tugged her closer as she swept her tongue behind his teeth to tease the pockets for his fangs.

"Playing with fire, little girl," he gasped.

"Don't care." She dove into another kiss. "You're mine."

Spike pulled back with a shocked expression. "What?"

_Now or never, Corinne._ She caressed both cheeks with her hands so he would look at her when she said this. Corinne took a brave breath, then confessed. "I love you. I have for months." His expression didn't change, his jaw still in the floor. _Oh, crap, I broke him!_ "Spike?"

"W-What did you say?" he whispered.

"I love you."

"You…" she nodded, hoping it would sink in. "You…love me?"

Corinne kissed his sweet lips and replied, "Yes! I tried not to, because I didn't want to ruin our friendship, but it wouldn't go away. I love you, Spike."

"You…" Words failing, he kissed her, surprising her with the intensity. "No one's ever…say it again!"

"I love you, Spike. It doesn't matter if you don't feel the same way now, but when you kiss me like that, how can I hold it in?"

"You sent me away, when you…?"

Corinne nodded. "I couldn't keep you from that. You had to know. It had nothing to do with me."

"Oh, kitten…you're a bloody treasure, you know that? No one's ever done for me what you have…what you _always_ have…you're too good to me, baby, I don't deserve it."

She stroked his cheekbones and looked upon him lovingly. "Of course you do. Every time you help Dawn with her homework, every time you take out the trash for Tara, every time you save some stupid Sunnydale resident from being eaten in an alley…you're a good man, William. It's just that no one encouraged you to be one before." He trembled beneath her hands.

Spike pulled her into another feverish kiss. "I have no soul, luv. I'm gonna make mistakes on judgment calls. I'm going to disappoint you."

"Spike, I know you're fallible. So am I! We're bound to screw up, but as long as we try to help each other, all of us, try our best, then that's the best we can do. I've loved you for months without asking for anything in return. Do you think that's going to change if we get closer?" She couldn't resist kissing that pout again. "Now, shut up."

Persuaded by her talented lips, he lost himself to her kisses. Five months of pent up frustration had Corinne pouring herself into their making out, determined to render him senseless. She was careful not to lean on any of his injuries, though. Soon, despite the blood he'd drunk, Spike's body started to insist on sleep, his responses getting slow and sloppy. She finally pulled back with a gentle smile and brushed the curls off his forehead.

"You need sleep, honey," she declared. He pouted and tried to capture her lips again. "Ah-uh…I'm going to go get your clothes so you have something to sleep in. I'll be right back."

"Okay." Spike settled back into the sofa cushions with a silly grin on his face, watching her walk out the door to the laundry pantry outside. She had a body he was going to enjoy exploring…once he wasn't so damn tired. He was already drifting when Corinne came back inside a few minutes later. She handed him a pair of sweat pants from the top of the pile.

"Go get changed while I clean this up," she encouraged him, helping him stand. He found that he could put a little more weight on his left leg now that his knee was wrapped.

Spike limped into the bedroom and dropped the robe before sitting on the bed to pull up the pants. Luckily, his flexibility made up for not bending his knee. Corinne came in and turned down the bed.

"Stay with me until I fall asleep, luv?"

"Of course." She tucked the covers up to his chest, then lay down on the comforter next to him, her head propped up on her hand. "I'm so glad you're home."

_Home…_ "Me, too, pet," his blue eyes soft and happy. She thought he'd never looked more beautiful. He picked up her free hand and kissed the palm, his eyes fluttering closed.

Corinne kissed his forehead. "Sleep well, baby." His lips twitched into a smile, but he was already falling under, so she carefully rolled off the bed and left the bedroom, silently closing the door. Her face split into a wide grin now that she was alone (and she might have done a little dance). Corinne realized she was starving, as it had been several hours since she'd eaten.

A couple sandwiches made, she proceeded to call Tara and give a brief summary of the night. Later, when she went to bed, Spike was still in the same position. She slid under the covers, cuddling close, and drifted off for the best sleep she'd had in a long time.

-------------

Corinne was awakened in the early morning by kisses to her neck. "Mmm, morning," she said, stretching. He grinned down at her. "How do you feel?"

Spike shifted closer and rubbed his cotton-clad erection against her leg. "How do you think?" he smirked, swooping in for a kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she responded, smiling against his lips.

"Do you always wake up that way?" she teased.

"Most of the time, but especially when I'm in bed next to a beautiful woman." He nibbled under her ear and down her throat. "You smell divine," nuzzling her pulse point. "Can't wait to taste you," he added huskily.

_No gray area in what he means by that._ "How's your knee?"

"Better, swelling's gone. It'll probably just be stiff today." His kisses continued down her collarbone.

"Ah, if only I could heal my patients so quickly," she mused. Corinne rolled them over, pinning his arms above his head. He smiled, eager for what she would do. "Trust me?" "Yes." "Good. Close your eyes and let me love you," she whispered in his ear. Spike shivered beneath her and complied. She grinned, as she'd been dreaming about this for months.

Corinne kissed him languidly, still holding down his wrists. She dragged his bottom lip through her teeth as she released it, moving on to his sensitive throat. She paid extra attention to his bite marks, filing away the information when he moaned and arched beneath her. Continuing down his chest, she teased and licked each nipple into hard points, the vampire hissing in pleasure each time she used her teeth. He was so gorgeous – defined pecs, eight definitive ab separations, the lines leading straight down under his pants to what she could feel was quite impressive against her belly. Spike squirmed as she nibbled at his unmarked side, so she did it again.

"Watch it, missy, or I won't be so compliant," he warned good-naturedly.

"Up," was her only reply, tugging at his waistband. She yanked the sweats off and tossed them to the floor. _Oh, my…_ She avoided his throbbing sex for now, diverting around it to place hot kisses on his hips and legs. Her hair teased along it as she moved down his body, though.

"Corinne, please!" he pleaded, arching his hips.

She looked up innocently. "You want something, baby?"

"Please touch me. You're driving me insane!"

She kissed the arch of his foot. "I am touching you, Spike," she simply replied.

"_Luv_!" Well, he was begging so nicely, and how could she resist that pout? Corinne crawled back up to settle herself along his thighs. She grazed a nail from base to tip.

"Is this what you wanted?" she asked coyly. He nodded rapidly. "You want more?" More nodding. "Okay." She fisted his manhood, sliding her hand up and over the head with a twist, down the other side, and back again.

"Oh, fuck…" he moaned, his head falling back on the pillow. With his eyes closed, he focused on the feel of her warm hand, and so he didn't see when she moved to take him into her mouth on the next down-stroke. "Bloody _hell_!" The minx just chuckled around his dick, her tongue seeming to be everywhere all at once. "Oh, god…kitten…unh…"

She delighted in reducing the normally eloquent vampire to a babbling puddle of need. He made the cutest squeak when she sucked the sensitive skin at the base of the head between her teeth, shooting up off the bed, before falling back down and babbling more "oh gods". And manipulating his sac really made him go wild, his hips thrusting and writhing in rhythm to her movements.

"Cori, Cori, Cori…oh god…luv…I'm…" Corinne nodded and hummed in acknowledgement, and just sucked harder. He exploded into her mouth, surprising her with the force, but she anticipated so he didn't choke her. She swallowed his spendings and continued to slide him in and out of her mouth until he collapsed, panting and wide-eyed. Giving him one last lick and a kiss, Corinne crawled up his body and hovered over him.

"Good start to the morning?" she asked.

"Come 'ere," Spike growled, pulling her down into a mind-blowing kiss until she was gasping for breath. "You are amazing."

"Really?" she asked, blushing. "Even after…" She gestured about, referring to his many years on her.

"_Really,_" he replied emphatically. "It's different with you. I can tell that you love me," Spike added shyly. It was still an astounding concept to him, one that would take a little getting used to. Her hand caressed his cheek.

"I do, Spike. I've never felt so strongly as I do for you. I love you, and I'll say it as many times as I need to for it to sink in." That look of awe on his face made her heart ache with feeling too big for her chest. She kissed him sweetly, pouring her feelings into his healing heart.

"Let me make love to you, Corinne," he whispered with strong emotion.

She scanned his face, looking for any trace that his wish was superficial. She only found earnest desire and affection, so she nodded, murmuring, "Alright. Just go slow, it's been a while."

"You mean, you didn't with…?" he asked hopefully. Corinne shook her head.

"Timing wasn't right," she said simply. Spike trusted her not to lie to him, so he didn't ask for details, didn't need or want them.

He rolled them over again as he kissed her, taking his time. Wanted this to be perfect. He didn't feel the love she did, yet, but he could feel the stirrings of it with every display of her devotion. She meant a great deal to him, was his best friend, and he missed her terribly whenever they were apart for more than a couple days. Corinne was his future. As Spike stripped away each article of clothing, heard her moans and soft sighs, the part of him that had lived for Buffy got pushed farther way. As he entered her velvet heat, it was the furthest thing from his mind, and as she climaxed with his name on her lips, it was locked away as just a memory. Spike collapsed on top of her as Corinne wound her arms tighter around him, whispering her love in his ear as he panted into her neck.

They loved the day away in one form or another, through bodies or words. They were in constant contact around the apartment, Spike wrapping his arms around her middle as she made food to satisfy their voracious appetites. After a shower, prolonged by more kissing and touching, the new couple made their way out into the evening, hand in hand, to 1630. Congratulations and happy smiles came from his other best girls, and Spike couldn't remember ever being happier. Corinne squeezed his hand, knowing how he felt.

The End

If there's really a call for it, I could add an epilogue, but I think this chapter stands pretty well on its own. Thanks for reading. CM


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